Alpha Force 1: Dawn of the Silver Age
by Inspector Brown
Summary: Violet and Dash, now 21 and 18 respectively, have moved out of their parent's house and have formed a brand new super team. Warning: Don't try to read this story all in one sitting, you'll give yourself a headache! Rated for language and mild gore.
1. News Report

Dateline: Wednsday, April 22, 1981, 5:46 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"We're going to take a closer look tonight at the newest super team to appear on the scene," said Jeter Pennings from his anchor desk at DBC News World Headquarters in New York. "The newly formed 'Alpha Force' operates out of Metroville, and appears to have just two members, who operate under the codenames of Python and Rocket. Who are these new heroes, where are they from, and where are they going? DBC's Michael Farm has this story."

The shot cut to two individuals in super suits, one male and one female. The female was wearing a leotard with snake-skin print and a violet-colored letter "P" on her chest. She was also wearing a skull cap to cover her hairstyle and a mask to cover her face, both of which are in snake-skin. The male was wearing a green suit with bright yellow racing stripes down his sides. He wore a full metal helmet that covered his face in such a way that no one could see his lips move.

"So, Python," began Mr. Farm, "what made you decide on the name Python?"

"Well, my primary super power is invisibility, like a snake in the grass. My brother here suggested I call myself Viper, but I thought that name sounded a little too sinister."

"Wait a minute, Rocket is your brother?"

Rocket sighed. "Well, the cat's out of the bag now! Yes, Mr. Farm, Python is my sister."

Mr. Farm just nodded and smiled. "So, Rocket, I hear that you have some ties to the notable super hero known as Mr. Incredible. Can you dispel these rumors?"

"Actually," interrupted Python, "the rumors are true. Mr. Incredible is our father."

Rocket punched his sister in the arm. "Shut up, you're going to give away our secret identities!"

"Relax, Rocket. They don't know Mr. I.'s real name, and they won't know ours."

The shot cut to Michael Farm standing by himself on the streets of Metroville.

"This new super team calls itself 'Alpha Force' as a tribute to the now deceased super team 'Beta Force'. The two are being paid for their hero work by the Metroville Police Department. I can't speak for everyone, but I for one feel much safer here knowing that Alpha Force is looking out for me. Michael Farm, DBC News, Metroville."

A young man slouching on the couch turned off the television. He seemed to be in his early twenties, about six feet tall, with blonde hair and a mustache to match. Standing behind himwas a young woman with straight black hair that reaches down to her knees.

"Well, Violet," said the male, "this is another fine mess you've gotten us into. Do you realize how close we came to blowing cover?"

"Dash," said the woman, "we didn't blow our cover! Will you just drop it?"

"We've only been Alpha Force for a week and already we're flying a little too close to the sun for my taste."

Violet just giggled. "What happened to the Dash I grew up with, the one who was always taking risks and getting in trouble?"

"He grew up, that's what happened!"

"Yeah, well, if you're so grown up, why don't you help me with dinner tonight?"

Dash stood up and gave his sister a dirty look. "Do you want the apartment to catch fire?"

"No."

"Then I think it would be best to leave this job to the professionals," he said as he patted Violet on the shoulder.

"Professionals built the Titanic," quipped Violet. "Amateurs built the ark."

"Touché," said Dash, "but I think I would only be a hindrance to your exquisite culinary artistry."

Violet snorted. "Fine, go watch your stupid TV show."

"Hey, MASH is not stupid!"

(A/N: In case you haven't noticed, time is extremely important to me. In all my research, I failed to find the dates of some events related to the movie, so I had to make them up. Here they are.

Bob's DOB: January 27, 1927.

Helen's DOB: February 18, 1929.

Violet's DOB: March 2, 1960.

Dash's DOB: November 27, 1962.

Jack-Jack's DOB: July 7, 1971.

Bob and Helen's Wedding Date: June 14, 1958.

Date of Syndrome's Death: May 26, 1973.

Date Alpha Force was formed: April 15, 1981.

If these dates seem a little off to anybody out there, please let me know so I can fix them. Chapter 2 is coming soon, and it will be longer than this one is, I promise!)


	2. The Last Supper

Dateline: Wednsday, April 22, 1981, 7:01 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Hey Dash! Don't forget to wash up for dinner!" called Violet from the kitchen.

"Don't worry, I won't!" responded Dash from the living room. "Oh, by the way, what'cha cooking?"

"I'm making meatloaf."

"My favorite!" Dash tried not to barf while he washed his hands. As he was doing this, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" He ran to the door with his trademark speed, stirring up Violet's hair in his wake.

"Hey there, Dash!" exclaimed the woman at the door as he opened it. She was in her early fifties, with blonde hair. With her was a man, about her age, a head taller than she was, and he also had blonde hair.

"Mom, Dad. What are you doing here?" asked Dash.

"What, can't a mother drop in on her own children once in a while?"

"Yeah, but it would have been nice if you had called first."

"Well, I hope you're happy, Dash," Violet complained. "Thanks to your antics, our dinner is covered in hair!"

Dash craned his neck in Violet's direction. "Maybe it wouldn't have happened if you would cut your hair once in a while, Rapunzel! Oh, by the way, we have company!"

"Well, tell them to get lost!"

"It's Mom and Dad!" Dash said with a smirk on his face.

"Like I said, let them in!"

Bob and Helen stepped into their kids' tiny apartment. Dash pulled out his mother's chair at the dinner table. Her husband sat across the table from her. Violet sat at the head of the table, while Dash sat at the foot. Dash said a prayer over the food, and the Parr Family began to eat.

"So Mom, you dyed your hair," observed Violet, "may I ask why?"

"Actually, your father dared me to," explained Helen. The young adults looked at their father crossly.

"I intend to prove that blonde hair does NOT make a woman stupid," he said in his defense.

"I think I liked it better the other way," Violet said. "So, how's Jack-Jack doing?"

"We discovered that some of his powers have disappeared due to non-use," said Bob.

"Really?" asked Dash. "So what powers does he have left?"

"The shape-shifting, mostly, although he does burst into flames once in a while."

"Is he doing well in school?" Violet wondered aloud.

"Not quite, he is having a little trouble with math," said Helen. "Luckily we got your friend Kari to tutor him."

"Wait a minute, are you sure that's the best idea?" asked Dash. "Do you remember what happened last time Kari watched Jack-Jack?"

"Yes, I do, but she doesn't. That's the whole idea!"

Dash just gave his mother a confused look, then shrugged his shoulders and went back to eating.

"And yourselves?" asked Violet. "Are you guys enjoying life now that you have officially retired from hero work?"

"Not exactly," Bob said with a hint of a moan in his voice. "We're still looking after your little brother, so we haven't been able to do anything exciting, like go skydiving."

"What?" Helen screamed. "You want to go _skydiving?_"

"You sound surprised to hear this, honey."

"Of course I'm surprised! I never would have suspected you as the type of guy who would want to jump out of a plane!"

"I'm sure I must have mentioned it to you at least once."

"No, never," said a still stunned Helen.

"So," said Bob, trying desperately to change the subject, "how are you two doing? Are you still planning to finish high school, Dash?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you need anything, any help at all?"

"No, Dad. Violet is making enough money to support us both. Not only that, but the police are paying us for our super hero work."

"Speaking of super hero work, how are you enjoying it?"

"We haven't really gotten a chance to be heroes yet," explained Violet, "after all, we've only been on duty for a week so far."

"You'll see how quickly that can change," said Helen. "I do like the codenames you picked out for yourselves, Python and Rocket. They fit perfectly!"

"But there's still one thing I don't understand," said Bob. "How come you let your hair grow so long, Vi?"

"She hasn't cut it since Tony broke up with her," explained Dash.

"You broke up with Rydinger?" asked Helen. "Why?"

"First of all," Violet began, "he broke up with me. Secondly, we had irreconcilable differences. I liked being a super hero, and he liked having sex with strange women while I was at work."

"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't think its wise for you to grow your hair out in hope that he'll change."

"I'll drink to that," said Bob, "because I certainly can't eat to it. Not with Vi's hair all over the food."

"That's not funny, Dad. It wasn't even my fault! If Dash could keep his speed under control…"

Dash cut her off. "If it wasn't me today, it would have been something else tomorrow."

"That's no excuse for running in the apartment like that, what if someone saw you?"

Helen stood up from the table. "Okay, I can see that you two are going to have a little fight, so I think Bob and I should go now."

"Okay, goodbye guys!" Dash called out to his parents. "Don't be strangers!"

As Bob and Helen left the apartment, Violet and Dash were still arguing.

"You're the one that's always saying that our identities are our most valuable possessions!" Violet yelled. "I'm surprised that you would jeopardize our safety like that, after you chewed…"

Dash cut his sister off. "Wait a minute, jeopardize our safety? Violet, we were in the apartment! Nobody could see us anyway!"

"This is not about us blowing cover, Dash!"

"Then what the hell _is_ this about?"

"I'll tell you what this is about…" But her voice trailed off when she heard the phone ring. "As soon as I answer the phone, okay?" She ran over and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Alpha Force, we need your help, right now!"

"We're on our way." She hung up. "Remind me to yell at you later, Dash! We just got our first super gig!"

Dash ran to his room and changed into his super suit as fast as a jackrabbit. Violet, however, took a little bit longer, what with the rolling of her hair into that tiny skullcap. Within 12 minutes, Python and Rocket were ready for action.

"Showtime," they said in unison.

(A/N: The main purpose of this chapter was to burn the bridge that leads back to the Incredible household. Violet and Dash are adults now, and fully capable of living on their own. Of course, they still get all their crime-fighting style from their parents. Chapter 3 is on its way soon, with some of that fantastic super hero action I promised, and a little something extra!)


	3. Alpha Force On The Job

Dateline: Wednsday, April 22, 1981, 9:23 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Python and Rocket were suited up and ready for action. They made their way to the fire escape of their apartment and prepared to depart. Rocket leapt to the ground below, with Python right behind him. As they fell, Python projected a force field around them both. The pair landed without a scratch, thanks to the "Alpha Force Power Ball", their mode of transportation.

"Hey, Rocket, where's the site of the disaster?"

Rocket scanned the horizon until he saw what looked like the moon. But it wasn't the moon, because the moon didn't usually have an A-shaped shadow on it. "There's the Alpha signal," he said. Rocket set the Power Ball in motion, and the supers were off. Within 10 minutes, Alpha Force arrived at the Metroville Bank. The police were already there.

"What's going on here?" Python asked the sheriff.

"We received a call from the bank saying that a new super-villain was attempting a robbery," he answered.

Suddenly, a massive explosion occurred which demolished the front door. Luckily, Python managed to protect her self and her brother in time. The police were unharmed because they had fled. Out of the dust came what appeared to be a French male. He was a HUGE man, and on his person, he carried enough bombs to level Cleveland.

"Bomb Appiteit!" said the A-Forcers.

The villain quickly tossed a few bombs in their direction. Python put up a force field to protect herself, while Rocket dodged the explosives with his surprising speed.

"Who are you, and where is Mr. Incredible?" asked Bomb Appiteit.

"Oh, he retired a month ago," explained Python, "now we're the super heroes on this beat."

"No, this cannot be!" M. Appiteit screamed. "I must battle Mr. Incredible! I must avenge my brother, Bomb Voyage! Thanks to Mr. Incredible, my brother now sits alone in a prison cell. He told me that somehow, I must defeat Mr. Incredible in his stead! Then he gave to me all of his explos…"

But he couldn't finish his monologue, because Rocket was already on him like white on rice. Bomb Appiteit was decked well into next month within the scope of 15 seconds.

"That was simply too easy," Rocket thought aloud.

In time the police returned and took the giant super-villain away. "Thank you, Alpha Force," said the sheriff. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"Just doing our job, sir," said Python.

After these things, Alpha Force ducked into a dark alley and quickly changed back into civilian clothes. Then they began to walk home.

"I can't believe how easily you took that guy down," Violet told her brother.

"Well, I suppose it was a good thing that our first gig was easy," Dash responded.

"Uh-oh," Violet murmured as they passed the door in their building labeled "Manager". Then she disappeared.

"Violet, what are you so worried about? It's just the landlord. What's the worst that could happen?"

"PARR!" came a loud scream from behind the manager's door. Thinking quickly, Dash covered his sister so that the manager wouldn't see a floating outfit with no one in it. Then out stepped a man in his bathrobe, looking very disgruntled.

"Hey, there, Mr. Von Braun," said Dash. "Have you lost weight?"

"Don't try to flatter me, Dash!" screamed Mr. Von Braun. "Where's your sister?"

"Uh…" Dash tried to think of an excuse as to why she wasn't there. "She-e-e-e-e's-s-s out…with her friends…yeah, and she won't be back until tomorrow."

"Okay, well, when she gets back, tell her that she's two weeks behind with the rent!"

"Okey-Dokey, Mr. Von Braun, sir, I'll do that!" Dash said as he and his sister turned in front of the manager, so they could get to the apartment without him seeing Violet invisible. Once they were safely inside apartment 31A, Dash smacked his still invisible sister upside her head. "Two weeks? Please tell me you paid him the money two weeks ago and he just forgot!"

Violet reappeared. "Actually, Dash, I kind of ran out of money this month."

"What? How could you forget to pay the rent? What in the world could you have been spending that money on?"

Violet simply stood still and stared at her brother, stiff as a board. "Uh…"

"Oh, Violet…Three Blind Mice albums?"

"Dash, they weren't for me, they were for Kari! She saw one in the store window, and…"

"Don't give me excuses, Violet Helen Parr! Tell me how on earth we are going to get enough money to pay our rent bill! Tell me how that's possible with you dropping more money for tunes than you do for room and board!"

"You know what, Dashell Robert Parr, instead of yelling at me because we have money problems, maybe you could help out a little! Get a part time job, maybe!"

"That is the best idea you've ever had!" said Dash, and he said it in a tone that would make one think he was still arguing with Violet. "I think I'll get one tomorrow!"

"Great idea! Now go to bed, because you have to go to school tomorrow!"

Dash snorted, and then he just chuckled at the most unusual conversation he just had with Violet. "Okay, I'll see you in the morning," he said. He went to his bedroom on the west side of the apartment and stripped down to his skivvies before he jumped into bed. "Good night, Violet!"

"Good night, Dash," Violet said as she strode to her bedroom on the east side of the apartment. She changed into her nightgown and slipped into bed. And for the rest of the night, Alpha Force slept soundly and peacefully.

(A/N: Hey, I'm sorry if I didn't put enough fantastic action in there for you guys. They say the best way to write is to write about what you know. And what I mostly know about is the mundane, not the fantastic. About Vi's middle name, well, I made that up, but it seems logical, don't you think? Just so you know, Three Blind Mice is the name of a fictional band of my own creation. Chapter 4 is on the way! In it, you will discover what life is like for Alpha Force during the day.)


	4. The Morning After

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 6:45 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ."

Dash smacked his alarm clock while still half-asleep. He never really did like getting up in the morning, but he knew he would have to eventually. And preferably before Violet dumped a bucket of water on his bed. Again.

"C'mon, Dash, _carpe diem!_" said his sister. Violet was always up before her younger brother; it was her duty to make breakfast for the both of them. Today she was frying up bacon in one pan while scrambling eggs in another. She left the food to cook for awhile so she could organize the documents in her briefcase. "Okay, let's see here, I've got to interview the applicants for the open position in electronics, then comes lunch, then I need to meet with Walker for about an hour, come home and wait for Dash…yeah, that's everything."

After she finished planning out her day, Dash staggered out of his bedroom and into the kitchen.

"Well, look who decided to join the world of the living," remarked Violet.

"'Morning, Vi. What's for breakfast?"

"I made your favorite: bacon and eggs!"

A smile crept its way across Dash's face. He sat down at the table and started to eat. And as he was eating, Violet noticed something strange.

"Something's on your mind, Dash. Do you mind telling me what it is?"

"Huh? How could you tell I was distracted?"

"You're eating the bacon with a fork and your eggs with your hands," she pointed out.

"Oh, uh, I don't want to talk about it," he said hastily.

"It's about Kim, isn't it?"

Dash's head sunk onto his plate.

"Get your face out of the eggs, Dash," Vi said giggling.

At that moment, the honking of a car's horn could be heard just outside the window.

"Oh, jeez, there's my ride! Dash, finish getting ready, and remember, you said you were going to look for a job today!"

"I will, Violet! Don't worry about it!"

"Have a good day, do all your schoolwork, make good choices, bye!" And with that, Violet rushed out the door. She didn't stop until she came to a used 1980 Toyota Camry, which was idling by the curb just outside the building. In the driver's seat was a young woman with strawberry blonde hair, tied in a ponytail.

"Get in, Vi," said the driver, and she spoke with a bit of an overbite. "I've got more important things to do today than drive you to work."

Violet opened the passenger side door and got in. "Listen, Kari, you have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"Yes I do!" said Kari, "you appreciate it as much as your mother appreciates me tutoring your baby brother, Jack-Jack." She pulled away from the apartment complex. "But, seriously, Violet, this is starting to become a little bit burdensome. I can't spend the rest of my life driving you around! When are going to just buy a car?"

"Dash and I can't really afford a car right now, McKean. We've been living hand-in-mouth ever since we moved into our apartment."

"As have I, Miss Parr, and yet here we are, in my automobile."

While Violet and Kari were having this conversation, Dash finished his breakfast, grabbed his backpack, locked up the apartment, and began walking to school. Now, theoretically, he could have gotten to Metroville High School within 30 seconds. But, he couldn't risk blowing cover, so he decided that he would slow up and walk to school in exactly 15 minutes each day. When he got there, a teenage girl with silky brown hair greeted him. She wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, which made her appear very educated.

"Hey there, sweetie-pie!" she said as she ran to embrace him. They kissed briefly.

"Hello to you too, Kim," said a now blushing Dash.

Kim slipped her hand into Dash's, and they walked to her first class. "Hey, thank you for taking me to the Earth Day parade yesterday. I had a great time."

"Anything for you, my little sweet potato." Kim giggled at Dash's statement.

"Hey, did you see the news last night? They had a special report on this new super team called 'Alpha Force'."

It was all Dash could do to keep from laughing. "Yeah, I saw it."

Kim noticed that Dash was trying not to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

"Anyway, I was thinking…"

"What a wonderful thing to do, Miss Lavender!"

Kim wasn't impressed; she just laughed a phony laugh. "Anyway, they seemed really young, like they were about our age or something. Don't you think it would be weird if Python or Rocket turned out to be a student at this school?"

_Oh, Father God, help me not to blow my cover,_ Dash quietly prayed. "Yeah, I guess that would be pretty weird."

"So, hey, Dashie, if you're not doing anything after school today…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry honey, I kind of promised Violet that I'd look for a part-time job today."

Kimberly's face quickly shifted to a disappointed expression. "Oh."

"Hey, I'm free Friday night! We could go see that 'Empire Strikes Back' movie at the dollar cinema."

And with that, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "What a great idea, I haven't seen that one yet. So, I'll pick you up at 8:00 PM?"

"It's a date," Dash said. They arrived at Kim's Advanced Calculus class. He let go of his girlfriend's hand and made his way to the gym for his first class.

(A/N I had a hard time deciding whether to include Violet's day in this chapter or not. Don't worry, I'll write about Violet in Chapter 5, which may be a while coming; I think I'm coming down with writer's block. Until next time…)


	5. Another Day, Another Dollar

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 8:57 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Violet stepped out of Kari's 1980 Toyota Camry as she pulled into the parking lot of the Black and White department store.

"Hey, Vi!" Kari called after her, "Listen, I can't pick you up at 5:00 today; I have a dentist's appointment."

"No problem, I'll take a taxi," Violet responded.

Kari burned rubber before leaving. Violet walked into the building, saying hello to people as she made her way to the stairs. She climbed up three flights to the "Cube Farm", as her co-workers liked to call it, on the fourth floor. It wasn't more than a few seconds before Violet was sitting at her desk, working. And by "working", I mean playing solitaire with a deck of cards she keeps in her desk drawers. Of course, her game was interrupted when an unidentified male entered her cubicle.

"Excuse me, are you Violet Parr?" he asked.

"Violet Parr, Director of Personnel, at your service," she stood up to shake his hand. "You must be an applicant for the position in electronics. Have a seat."

He sat down in a chair across from Violet as he handed her his resume.

"Okay, let's see here…Mr. Wilson, it says here that you used to work for our competitor, the Red and Blue department store, in the same position you're seeking here. May I ask why your employment was terminated?"

"Actually, I quit my previous job so I could spend time with my family, but then," Mr. Wilson started to tear up, "my wife and kid spilt on me, so now I need this job, so much."

It was clear that Violet was not fazed by Mr. Wilson's sob story. "Yeah, well, that story better be true, but even if it is, it won't help you."

"So, that's it? I'm just getting the brush-off?" Mr. Wilson managed to say amid the tears.

"No, no, no, that's not it at all!" Violet said in an attempt to calm him down. "I'm just saying, I've got a lot of applicants for this job, and I don't want you to expect to get this job just because you're down on your luck."

"That is another way of saying 'Forget about it!' Just like 'Thanks for stopping by!' means 'We never want to see you again!'" Now Mr. Wilson was bawling.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Violet said, trying to be reassuring. "There's plenty of other jobs out there for you."

"No, there isn't!" Mr. Wilson screamed. "If your company won't have me, who will?"

Now it was clear to Violet that this man didn't need a job, he needed therapy. She produced a pen and some paper. "Okay, I'm going to recommend you to a Dr. Wilcox, who has an office on the corner of 5th and Indiana; you talk to her for a while, then you come back here and we'll see if we can't get you that job, okay?"

Mr. Wilson nodded and left Violet's cube, although still crying. Once he was gone, Violet resumed her game. However, she didn't get the chance to turn over one card before she was interrupted by a familiar voice behind her, that of her boss, Mr. Black.

"Excuse me, Parr," he said, "I need a favor."

"What is it, chief?" Violet said, feigning enthusiasm.

"Well, even though I have recently taken a pay cut, I have come to realize that there is a whole phone book of people who are worse off than I am." With that he produced the residential white pages and dropped on Violet's desk with a sonorous _thud._ "I want you to transcribe the names and phone numbers of those people and have it on my desk by 5:00 PM."

Violet gave her boss a cross look. "I'll not only transcribe their names and numbers, but I'll type it too, on the exact same paper, in the exact same font and size."

Mr. Black was visibly impressed. "It sounds too good to be true. This better not be a trick, Parr."

Violet just grinned smugly as Mr. Black returned to his office. She was about to resume her game when, you guessed it, something else interrupted her. This time, it was her watch going off. When she looked at it, she saw that a little red light in the shape of the letter A was flashing on its face.

_Oh, no, not now, _she thought to herself, _I haven't even had lunch yet! Oh well, duty calls._ She got up from her desk and rushed down the stairs. She found the women's changing rooms and ducked inside the first vacant one she could find. Once there, she pressed a button on her watch.

"Python reporting," she said into the watch.

Meanwhile, Dash was in the chemistry lab at Metroville High. He was handling a test tube filled with very strong acid when his watch went off. He noticed that the Alpha signal was flashing, so he ran at a plausible speed to the men's room. What he didn't notice was that he had inadvertently dropped the tube with the acid still inside it. Luckily, another student dive caught it before it ate through the floor. But, I digress.

Anyway, Dash found an empty stall in the bathroom and ducked inside. Once there, he pushed the same button on his watch that Violet pushed on hers.

"Rocket reporting," he said into the watch.

"We have a report of a new super villain on the offensive," came the voice of the sheriff. "He seems to have a massive cannon which he is using to destroy suburban residences. We have tried to quell him, but so far we have met with only…" The supers could hear explosions in the background "…unsuccess."

"Where is this guy right now?" asked Violet.

"Right now he is in the Sapphire Village, on Lumber Lane."

"We're on our way," said Alpha Force.

(A/N: Whoo! Suspense! Oh, by the way, I had to change Chapter 4 slightly. As it turns out, Kari's last name is McKean, not McAllister. Oops! Hey, thanks a million to everyone who has read my story so far. It gets better in the later chapters (I hope). Stay tuned for Chapter 6, same Alpha time, same Alpha channel! I'm sorry, I just had to say that! Anyway, happy trails!)


	6. Herr Cannon

(A/N: Okay, I know that I told you guys to let me know if you had a problem with the dates I have set. Well, I've recently seen the movie again and I noticed a little discontinuity in it where time is concerned, which only means one thing: time was not a concern of Brad Bird when he made the movie. Since I can't count on the movie for accurate dates and times, I'm just going to stick with the dates I've already set. Therefore, I don't want to hear any more guff about time, okay? Okay, on with the story.)

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 10:03 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Python dramatically emerged from the ladies' changing room, in full costume. She then walked to the curb outside the Black and White department store, and she waited. In about 5 seconds, her brother Rocket appeared.

"Took you long enough," Python retorted.

She quickly leapt into the air, projecting a force field around herself and Rocket. With a few quick steps, Rocket started up the Power Ball and the duo was off.

"Okay," said Rocket, "this villain is in the Sapphire Village. Which road do I take?"

"Incredible Boulevard," answered Python.

"No, that can't be it; it leads to the theatrical district, doesn't it?" Rocket saw a sign on the side of the road that read "Traction Ave." "We take Traction, don't we?" He was preparing to exit when…

"Don't take Traction!" Python screamed.

Rocket quickly steered the Power Ball out of the exit lane and kept going.

"Great, we missed it! Are you happy now?"

"Don't you remember? Traction leads to the financial district. I'm telling you, Incredible Blvd. leads to Sapphire Village."

"No, it leads to the theatrical district!"

Python noticed a sign pointing down Incredible Blvd. "It's coming up, get in the exit lane!"

"All right, but if the city gets destroyed because we got lost, I'm blaming you!"

Rocket took off down Incredible Blvd. Within 30 minutes, Alpha Force was on Lumber Lane, staring down the new super villain. He had with him a large cannon, which he was aiming at one of those cracker box houses that seemed to be so popular. The super heroes could see that he had already destroyed several such houses.

"BEHOLD THE POWER OF HERR CANNON!" he bellowed. He tapped the end of his weapon with a fiery torch, and it discharged. Python quickly covered her ears, but Rocket, who couldn't cover his own ears, due to his helmet, was dazed. The cannonball destroyed half the house, throwing dirt and wood and other debris every which way. Herr Cannon repositioned his weapon so he could destroy the other half of the house with his next shot. Meanwhile, Rocket had temporarily removed his helmet so he could stuff his ears with dirt to block out the sound of the blast.

Herr Cannon laughed menacingly as he poured gunpowder into his cannon. He reloaded the barrel with another shot and was just about to fire once again when Python stepped in between the fiend and his target.

"Stop, in the name of Alpha Force!" she exclaimed.

"Well, well, well," said Herr Cannon. "If it isn't Python, the new super with the power of invisibility. Well, Herr Cannon is about to make you disappear…forever!"

And with that, he fired his weapon. Python quickly put up a force field to protect herself and the remainder of the house from the blast. However, when the shot hit the shield, she felt it in the pit of her stomach. She passed out and collapsed on the pavement.

"Mwhahahahahahahahahahaha!" laughed Herr Cannon. "You thought you could defeat the mighty Herr Cannon? Well, look at you now! You are collapsed, on the floor, unable to help anyone, including yourself."

Rocket quickly realized that Herr Cannon was monologuing! Now was the best time to put a stop to his dastardly scheme.

"All I must do now," Herr Cannon continued, "is find your idiot brother and destroy him too! Once I have finished off Alpha Force, no one will be able to stop me from completing my master plan and conquering the world with my cannon!"

"Oh, really?" Rocket asked. "Your cannon and what gunpowder?"

"Huh?" Herr Cannon looked around. Sure enough, all of the gunpowder was missing. He grabbed Rocket by the shoulders of his suit. "All right, you overgrown firework! Where is it?"

"At the bottom of the river," remarked Rocket, with a sly grin on his face. "It's about eight miles that-a-way," he said pointing. "You're welcome to fish it out if you want to!"

Herr Cannon let go of Rocket and went into hysterics. "You fool! If that gunpowder gets wet, I won't be able to use it!" He started to leave, but he was still raving. "This isn't over! I'll get more gunpowder, and more cannonballs! And I'll be back! I won't go down without a fight! I'll get you for this, Alpha Force!"

Rocket knelt down by his fallen sister. There was a tear in his voice. "Come on, Python, wake up," he said while shaking her body. She woke up.

"Did we win? Did we beat him?" she asked.

"Yeah," Rocket answered, looking out on the city, "but he said he'd be back."

"Oh, man!" Python exclaimed as she sat upright, "I've got to get back to work!"

Alpha Force found a secluded area nearby and changed back into street clothes. Dash made a trademark run for Metroville High School. Violet, however, needed a little more help.

"TAXI!"

(A/N: Hey, now we know who the villain is! You can expect to see a lot more of Herr Cannon in future chapters. But Herr Cannon is not going to be the only arch-foe of Alpha Force! On the contrary, I have another mega diabolical bad guy in the works. And if you think I'm going to spill the beans now, well, you have another thing coming! Chapter 7 is currently in production. See you all next time!)


	7. Dash's Detour

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 10:42 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"So, if you work at the Black and White department store downtown, what were you doing in the Sapphire Village during business hours?"

The cab driver's question made Violet feel extremely nervous. _Does he know I'm Python?_ In desperation, she searched the recesses of her memory for a response. "Uh…uh…"

"Hey, if it's your business, it's your business," he said. "If you don't want to talk about it, then I don't want to hear about it."

She sighed a sigh of relief so great, she almost passed out. Almost. "Thank you for understanding," she barely managed to breathe out.

The cab pulled up to the Black and White department store. "Well, here we are. That comes to three dollars and fifty cents."

Violet reached into her wallet and dug out the very last of her money to pay for her cab ride. Ashen-faced, she climbed the stairs that led to the Cube Farm. Slouching, she walked back to her desk via the cube of Zachary Smith. Smitty, as everyone in the office knew him, was the payroll accountant. He wore his curly brown hair in a gigantic Afro, which made him look extremely foolish. Of course, nobody ever rose a stink about it, because Smitty cut everyone's paychecks.

Violet was secretly hoping that Smitty wouldn't notice her, much less her being gone for seemingly no reason. Unfortunately, she had no such luck.

"Parr! Where were you? You missed something great on the news!"

The grimace of Vi's face (which had appeared when she realized that Smitty had spotted her.) disappeared almost as soon as it came. There was something in the way he had said it that made her wonder what he was so worked up about.

"Ooh, ooh, they're showing it again!" Smitty was screaming. "Hurry, come and see!"

Excitedly, she made haste to Smitty's cube. It was difficult to get through the opening without getting her massive hair caught in something, but eventually, she was inside Smitty's cube, watching his tiny black-and-white TV.

What she saw playing on the news made her gasp!

Meanwhile, Dash had decided not to go directly back to school. There was something he needed to check on first. So, he started looking for another house in the Sapphire Village, hoping that Herr Cannon hadn't destroyed it yet. When the brick house came into view, Dash was elated that it was still standing. He made his way to the front door and knocked three times. The door swung open, and standing in the doorway was a female, about forty years of age, platinum blonde hair, a nice even tan, and a slender frame. "Hello there, Mirage," said Dash.

"Hello to you too, Rocket. Come on in." And Dash did as she suggested.

Mirage's house was teeming with electronic devices; everything from flat-screen television sets to digital cameras, all of which she built herself. Dash couldn't for the life of him figure out what Mirage intended to do with all this digital…he knew no other word for it…junk. There was no way she could sell it, he knew. After all, who on earth besides Mirage would want to own a portable telephone that could take pictures? In Dash's mind, that was just overkill. Ultimately, he didn't care what Mirage did with all her precious prototypes. Someday, he figured, all that stuff just might come in handy.

"I know why you are here," Mirage told him. "You came here to see if I have the item ready for you."

She was right, he knew, but he simply couldn't let on that she had read him like a book. Again. "No, of course not!" Dash began, "I just came to make sure your house wasn't destroyed. After all, you moved to the suburbs to get away from danger, and here it comes knocking at your door! What is the world coming to? But since you bring up the item, do you have it ready?"

Mirage chuckled. "I knew your intentions couldn't all be noble," she said.

She meandered to a hall closet and returned with a large metal box. Dash pressed his thumb against a small electrode on the box's lid, and it opened. Inside the box was the very object that he asked Mirage to make for him four days earlier. He removed it from the box and felt its weight in his hands.

"Is it to your satisfaction, Mr. Parr?"

"It's perfect," said Dash, "but I can't take it right now. If I get caught carrying this at school, I'll get into serious trouble."

"I understand completely. I'll hold onto this a little while longer and you can come pick it up…when?"

"Tonight, at 7:00 PM," asserted Dash. He returned the item to its box, said his good-byes to Mirage, and ran with his trademark speed back to school.

Back at the Black and White department store, Violet was still stunned by what she saw on Smitty's television. It was news footage of the showdown between Alpha Force and Herr Cannon!

"Wow," Smitty said, "that Python is one hot superhero!"

Violet couldn't tell if she should feel offended or flattered. She opted to feel flattered, because that's how she felt when people complimented Python. However, what Smitty said next disturbed her a little.

"I'm going to go out with Python someday, and then I'm going to marry her."

_Uh-oh _"O-Kay, I have to get back to work now, so, bye-bye, Smitty." And with that Violet tried to get back to her desk. She barely got out of Smitty's cube before something, or someone, grabbed hold of her giant hair. In an instant, Violet felt more fear than she knew what to do with.

"Don't leave without your paycheck," said Smitty.

Relief swept over Miss Parr like dew on grass. So, Smitty hadn't put two and two together…yet. She grabbed her salary and returned to her desk. As she studied her check, melancholy set in when she realized that every last nickel of it was pre-spent.

_Good thing Dash is getting a part-time job today._

(A/N: Now we start to see a little bit of mystery in this story. Any questions that this chapter ignited in your mind will be answered in future chapters, I promise. Oh, one more thing, could you guys _please _be a little more detailed in your reviews? Don't just tell me you liked it or you didn't like it. Tell me what you liked and what you didn't like, okay? Okay, Chapter 8 is currently in production. Until next time…)


	8. Wow, I Thought This Day Would Never End!

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 3:59 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Dash thought the school day would never end. He was either tardy or absent for literally every single one of his classes that day. Of course, it was hard to juggle class work and hero work. Yet somehow, he managed to pass with a C average so far. He wasn't going to be valedictorian, he knew that, but at least he would get a diploma.

And if he couldn't be valedictorian, at least he could be the valedictorian's boyfriend. Kimberly Lavender had an IQ of 139, which begot a 4.0 GPA. Everyone in the class of '81 expected her to pursue a career in medicine or technology or something of that nature. Everyone, that is, except for herself and Dash. These two were the only ones that knew the truth: what Kim really wanted to be was a mother.

Dash was well aware that Kim was really chomping at the bit to get married and have kids. That, he knew, meant he would have to be gainfully employed. He figured the best time to start would be today. After all, he promised Violet he would look for work today. As soon as class let out, he set out on a quest for the legendary source of money: employment. The first place he came to was the local O'Daniel's, a popular fast food chain.

"Welcome to O'Daniel's, may I take your order?" said the zit-faced high-school dropout that was the cashier.

"May I speak to your manager, please?" asked Dash.

"B…but I didn't do anything, I swear!" He started to sweat.

"I know you didn't do anything," said Dash chuckling, "I just need to speak to your manager, okay?"

"Oh, okay," said the clerk, calming down. "Mr. Jason! Someone's here to see you!" And in a few minutes, a very…well…a very large man came to the counter. He appeared disgruntled.

"All right, what did Skippy here do to offend you, sir?"

"No, no, that's not why I called you at all," Dash tried to explain.

"Then what do want? And, if you could, make it snappy, I'm missing Donahue!"

"I came here to ask for a job…" Dash began, but Mr. Jason cut him off.

"Great, you start Monday," he said, and he made his way back to his office.

"Wait," Dash protested, "so you're not going to interview me or anything?"

"You can talk, that proves you're smart enough to work here." And with that, Mr. Jason disappeared.

_Dang, that was easier than I thought it would be,_ Dash thought to himself. _Wait until Violet finds out I got a job in 7 seconds._

Speaking of whom, Violet had a mostly uneventful afternoon. Then again, it's not like exciting things happen everyday when you work in a cubicle, even if you are a super hero. She had lunch, met with Walker for about an hour, you know, same old same old. The one interesting thing that happened all afternoon occurred out of boredom.

She had been playing around with that newfangled puzzle that was just introduced last year, what do you call it, Rubik's Cube. She stood up, scanned the area around her cube, and when she was sure nobody was around to see, she projected a force field around it in mid-air. But this force field wasn't spherical, like all of her previous force fields. No, this time, the field was cubic, and it confined the puzzle so it couldn't move around inside. Quickly, Violet dispersed the shield and her cube landed on her desk with a _clack_, which could be heard all up and down the fourth floor.

"What was that?" asked everyone within earshot, literally.

"Nothing, I just dropped my Rubik's Cube, that's all," she said to quell the masses. When she was sure everyone bought her story, Violet went at it again. This time, she made a force field around nothing, just trying to make another cubic one. The remarkable thing was it worked! She tried other shapes too, pyramids, cylinders, cones, etc. Then she tried more complex shapes, like lamps, cassette tapes, television sets, telephones, and so on. With each new success, the smile on her face grew wider and wider.

But the most amazing thing she did was making a force field in the shape of a pair of scissors, and then using it to cut paper. (She held the paper in her mouth because her other hand was busy keeping up the force field.)

_Just wait until Dash sees this,_ she thought to herself.

At quitting time, she located Smitty, because she had a favor to ask him.

"Hey Smitty," she began, but Zachary beat her to the punch, or so he thought.

"I already gave you your paycheck, Parr!"

"No, I just need a loan of about…four bucks, please?"

Smitty gave her a suspicious look. "What for?"

"Well, if you must know," Violet said in a huff, "I need to take a taxi home."

"Okay, but you WILL pay me back the money," said Smitty as he handed her a five.

"Don't worry about it," Violet said reassuringly. And with that, she made her way down the stairs and out the door onto the curb, where she waited until a friendly taxi pulled up.

"Where to, sunshine?" said a dark and disturbing voice.

"Uh, can you take me to the bank on Oriental Avenue?"

"Sure thing, doll," said the cabbie. Violet got in the cab. But when she did, she felt a foreboding sense of evil in the automobile. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of it, yet. "Buckle up for safety, Python," the cabbie said, followed by a dark laugh, you know, the kind that evil geniuses make. Then he floored the accelerator and sped far past the bank where Violet had asked him to stop.

Now she knew all too well what was going on.

(A/N: More suspense! I love it! Unfortunately, I'm coming down with a bad case of writer's block, so it may be a while before I can publish the next chapter. The doctor says I should be inspired and writing again by next week at the latest. In the meantime, I'm willing to hear any suggestions y'all have. That's right, I said 'Y'all'. Got a problem with that?)


	9. Violet's HangUp

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 5:32 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Violet panicked when she discovered that her friendly cab was not so friendly after all. And what really added terror to her fear, if that were possible, was that her abductor had called her by her codename. How could he have known that? Where was he taking her? And who was he anyway? What she didn't realize until it was too late was that she asked all these questions aloud.

"You ask many questions, Python," said the evil cabbie, "questions whose answers you do not need to know." When he said that, he pulled what looked like a gas mask over his face. Thinking quickly, Violet reached for her wristwatch and pushed a different button just as the car filled up with an anesthetic gas. She tried to engage her captor in combat, but when she breathed in the gas, she slept the sleep of the drugged.

Back at Alpha Force's apartment at 1517 Oriental Avenue, Dash was taking a power nap when his watch went off, waking him up. He didn't realize what was going on until the watch's alarm beeped out an SOS. That could only mean that Violet was in serious trouble. He tried to contact his sister by the watch's two-way radio.

"Python, this is Rocket, come in, over!"

No response.

He dropped to his knees and prayed for strength, that he might find his sister and save her from certain death. Then he got up and put in a call to the sheriff.

"Chief, Alpha Force has a situation, sir!"

"Let me guess, Python has been abducted and you need me to use the tracking device in her watch so you can find her."

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Never mind that. We have her location, she's in some sort of automobile, heading south on Marina Drive."

"The pier!" Dash made a quick change into his suit and ran as fast as he could to the docks of Metroville. He didn't realize that he forgot to put on his helmet!

When Violet woke up, she discovered that her feet were dangling just inches above the water! She wiggled and squirmed trying to break free of whatever it was that was holding her in place. But with every motion, something tugged at her extremely long hair. Then she realized what was going on: someone had hung her above the river by her own hair.

_It must have been that cab driver,_ she thought. _Oh well, I was due for a trim anyway._

Just then, Dash showed up. Violet was both surprised and exasperated to see her brother standing there without his helmet, the protector of his identity! But she was more than happy to see him there than to face this predicament all by herself.

"Dash! Thank God you've come!"

"Oh, Violet. I always imagined that the only way I could get you to cut your hair was if your life depended on it, and here you are!" Dash couldn't keep himself from laughing. Violet, however, was not amused.

"Are you finished?" she said in her standard issue smart-aleck voice.

"Just a minute…Ha, ha, ha…Okay, now I'm done."

Dash started to climb the beam that held up the plank from which Violet was dangling. He managed to get onto the horizontal beam when he realized something.

"Oh, damn!"

"What is it?" Violet asked.

"I can't cut you down from there."

"Why not? Are you afraid of heights or something?"

"No, I don't have a blade with me."

"No problem," said Violet, and she projected a force field in the shape of a knife where Dash could see it.

"Cool! I didn't know you could make your force fields different shapes!"

"Yeah, neither did I! I just found out today at work."

"All right!" Dash then proceeded to climb out onto the beam where his sister was dangling. He managed to make it to a spot where he could work, but he couldn't reach the knife that Violet was making. "Hey, Vi, could you please bring the knife a little higher?" Violet dispersed the knife and reformed it high enough for Dash to reach. He grabbed the knife, but then had a question. "Are you sure this thing can cut?"

"Believe me, I've tried it, and it works!" Dash, feeling a little more confident, started to work cutting Violet's long hair. He didn't get far before his sister had a complaint of her own. "Wait!"

"What is it, short stuff?"

"Is there any wa…hey! You know I hate it when you call me that!"

"Oh, Violet! You're 5'4", you have been for 9 years, and you always will be! Get over it already!"

Violet snorted. "As I was saying, is there any way you could get me out of here that doesn't involve me landing in the river?"

"There must be. Whoever it was that got you up here did so without standing on the water, that's for sure." Dash began to think deeply. "They probably laid your body out across this beam, tied your hair to it, then dropped you over the edge so you would dangle like this."

"Well, is there anyway you could pull me back up there?"

Dash looked crossly at his sister from his perch. "You WANT me to pull your hair?"

"Never mind, I'll just pull myself up." She tried to reach for the crossbeam, but she couldn't reach; her hair was just too freaking long. "All right, let's just get this over with."

Dash set back to work. When he got down to the last few stands of hair, he said to Violet, "Uh, you might want to hold your breath, sis!"

"I hate water!" Violet mumbled before she plugged up her nose and shut her mouth.

"TIMBER!" And with that, the very last strand of her hair was cut, dropping her into the river with a very big _splash!_ When she landed, her concentration was broken, causing the knife to vanish. She did eventually resurface, praise God. After this, Dash jumped into the river feet first.

"Hey, Dash," said Violet, "did you notice that you forgot your helmet?"

"What? Oh, perfect."

"Now everyone you saw you this way is going to know who Rocket is."

"No problem, I know how to fix this!"

Violet was intrigued by Dash's confidence. "How can you fix this?"

"Easy. I'll get a new suit, and then Rocket will tell everyone that he got it before this incident."

"Oh, get real, Dash, who's going to believe that?"

"You'd be surprised!"

Upset and tired, the brethren of Alpha Force began to walk back home. When they got there, who should be waiting for them but-surprise-Mr. Von Braun?

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Parr's, Violet and Dash. Nice Rocket costume, but you forgot the helmet, Dash."

"I'm aware of that, Mr. Von Braun!"

"So, can I assume that you have your overdue rent money, Miss Parr?"

"I just got paid today, sir. I just need to go to the bank and cash my check, and I will pay you your deuce."

"See that you do, Violet. Remember, pay the rent late, and you get kicked out early!"

"Words to live by, Mr. Von Braun," said Dash as he and his sister re-entered apartment 31A.

(A/N: Okay, I think I need to stop here for now. This chapter was growing so long! Now I'm well aware that you guys are wondering what the item was that Dash ordered from Mirage. I will tell you in the next chapter, I promise! Chapter 10 in under construction! See you next week, same Alpha time, same Alpha channel!)


	10. Dash's Secret Revealed

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 6:48 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Oh, man! I almost forgot!" Dash exclaimed. "I have to go by Mirage's place and pick something up!"

"What is it?" Violet asked. But Dash was already out the door. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will help our cause," she said to no one in particular. She figured that the time it would take her brother to get to Mirage's house and back would be just enough time for her to put in a call to the team's costume designer, Edna Mode.

"I'd like to speak to Edna, please," she began.

"This is Edna," said the voice on the other end.

"E, it's Violet."

"Violet who?"

"Don't give me that, E! You know very well Violet who!"

"I'm sorry, my memory is not what it used to be. I might recognize your codename if you told it to me."

Violet sighed. She never liked using her codename when she wasn't in her super suit, but desperate times call for desperate measures. "It's Python."

"DARLING!" screamed Edna so loudly, that Violet almost dropped the receiver. "I'm glad you called, I was just thinking that Alpha Force might need my services in the near future. I know what happened as far as Dash's identity is concerned."

"You know about this? But how?"

"I saw it on the news, darling. He needs a new suit, that much is beyond argument. But what I wanted to talk to you about is that massive creature on your scalp that you seem to think is a hairstyle."

This came to Violet as quite a shock! "My hair? What's wrong with my hair?"  
"Darling, if something is a threat to your life, it must be got rid of as soon as possible! With hair that reaches down to your knees like that, you might as well be wearing a cape, and you know how I feel about those!"

Violet knew she had to stop Edna before she got into her speech against capes. "Yes, E, okay, I get you! So what do you recommend?"

"I happen to have a cousin who knows a thing or two about hairstyling. His name is June. So what time should I send June over to your place?"

"A man named June?" is what Violet started to ask, but E cut her off.

"Don't make me beg, darling, I won't do it you know!"

"Beg? No, I just need you to make Dash a new suit!"

"Yes, yes, darling, I'll start to work right away, and his suit will be ready before your next assignment. And don't worry about June, he will be there first thing tomorrow morning, I insist, okay? Okay, good-bye, darling." Click. Dial tone.

As it turned out, Violet's estimation was right in target. As soon as she hung up the phone, Dash returned, with a strange metal box.

"This is what I ordered from Mirage," he began, "it will revolutionize the way we fight crime!"

"How is a box going to help our cause, Dash?"

Dash quickly shifted his expression from excitement to contempt. "Not the box, egghead, it's INSIDE the box!"

"Oh, yeah, I knew that," Violet said, feeling like a complete fool. "So, uh, how do you get it open?"

Dash pressed his thumb against the thumbprint recognition pad. "It only opens for my thumbprint," he explained. The box opened, and Violet saw what was inside.

Now, her reaction to the sight of the object is difficult to describe in words, but I shall do the best I can. First, she screamed. After screaming non-stop for about four seconds, she paused, inhaled deeply, and continued to scream. About two seconds after that, a bug (or something bug-like in nature) flew up her throat, and she started coughing. She continued to cough until the bug (or whatever) was dislodged from her windpipe, causing her to make a disgusting noise at the end. She breathed heavily until she had enough strength to yell at Dash. Then…

"A GUN? Dash! You bought a gun?"

"Not just any gun," he boasted, "a .45 Glock. It can shoot the stamp off an envelope from 30 feet!"

"I don't want to hear about this…murder weapon, Dash!"

"Vi, it's not a murder weapon!"

"Not yet, anyway, but it will be, eventually! And you think it will help us?"

"Of course! The bad guys won't want to mess with a super hero who has a firearm!"

"Dash, super heroes and firearms simply do not mix!"

Dash looked at his sister confusedly. "I'm not sure I follow your logic."

"Listen, kids look up to super heroes. Kids don't learn, they imitate, okay? If they see a super hero with a gun, they're gonna want to carry guns. If kids carry guns, some poor little defenseless child is gonna get shot, and die. Then the parents find out why the kids have guns, they start coming after us, and before you know it, we'll all be back underground again, and it will all be YOUR FAULT!"

"Oh, come on, Violet," complained Dash, "don't you think you're blowing this way out of proportion?"

"Don't give me excuses, Dashell! Just get that killing machine out of my apartment!"

Dash was expecting his sister's disapproval so far, but what she had just said offended him. Now he was upset.

"First of all," he began, "my name is on the deed too, so this is our apartment. Second of all, this is not a killing machine, it is a high velocity projectile launcher."

"Could you say that last one in English, please?"

"Guns don't kill people, PEOPLE kill people."

Violet stared at her brother with the evil eye. "People WITH guns kill people."

For a long time after that, neither of them said anything. That day, hour, and minute, both Violet and Dash finally understood the saying "You could cut the tension with a knife". But then, the tension lifted when the doorbell rang. Violet quickly shut the case, which still had the gun inside, then answered the door.

It was Kari McKean. "Hey guys, whatcha up to?"

Violet looked back at Dash, who didn't even give a shadow of a response. "Nothing," she said.

"Cool! You guys want to join me at the bar for dinner tonight?"

_Anything to get my mind off of what Dash just did,_ Violet thought. "Okay."

The three climbed down the stairs of 1517 Oriental Avenue, down to where Kari had parked her 1980 Toyota Camry. They drove off into the moonrise.

(A/N: This right here is what sells stories these days: controversy! So, what do you guys think? Should Violet kick Dash out? Should she steal the gun and hock it? Should she let him keep it? Should she let him maybe use it on missions? Oh, one more thing…the story doesn't stop here! Chapter 11 is currently in production. See you all next time!)


	11. Alpha Force hits the floor

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 8:00 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Violet could barely eat, even though it was on Kari tonight. She was still reeling about the gun that Dash had bought. How could he do such a thing? Would he try to use it? What if he killed someone with it? Oh, the media would have a field day to end all others if he did! Was he even thinking about the children? No, of course not, or he wouldn't have bought the cursed thing in the first place.

Dash could barely eat either. He was still hurt by Violet's chiding. He wasn't actually going to kill anyone with it! She knew him better than that, or so he thought. But she was right about one thing: it wouldn't be right if he carried it where the paparazzi could see him. Then, Alpha Force would be internationally humiliated before he could say "I wonder if I kept the receipt to that thing?"

With the Parr siblings sitting before her in silence, hardly eating, or talking, or moving for that matter, Kari could tell something was up. Did they just have another fight or something? That had to be it, because they only sulked like this when they were angry about something. Ms. McKean decided to find out what was going on, the only way she knew how…

"What's going on, Vi?"

"Nothing," said Violet, but it sounded to Kari like "Something awful, but I don't want to talk about it."

"Well," Kari began, "that must be some fantastic nothing if you're not eating because of it. Now, come on, Vi, you can tell me what's going on."

Violet looked up and seemed to eyeball Dash. "Not here, in the ladies' room," she said to Kari, not averting her gaze from her brother. The two women stood and slowly stepped to the lavatory, leaving Dash at the table by himself. Once inside, Kari looked Violet straight in the eye and said, "Tell me what's going on."

Violet took a deep breath, and with a slight tear in her voice, she said, "Dash bought a gun today."

Then there was a long pause.

"So that's it? You're upset because Dash bought a gun?"

Violet was astonished. How could she simply yawn at the fact that her own flesh and blood parceled an instrument of slaughter into her own domicile? In other words…

"My brother brings a lethal weapon into my apartment and all you can say is 'That's it?'"

"Well, forgive me, Violet, but I just don't see what you are so worked up about. So what if Dash is packing heat? I am too!"

_Oh my God! Kari carries a gun too?_ Now Violet was on the verge of a panic attack! "You carry a gun too, Kari? For how long?"

"About 6 months now."

"And you never told me this because…?"

"You never asked, and I didn't see it as any of your business."

_I didn't see it as any of your business._ Kari's words echoed in Violet's head as she lost consciousness and crashed into the floor.

While this was going on, Dash had left the table and moseyed over to the bar. He ordered a beer. From his expression, the bartender could tell some thing was bothering him. "Hey, why the long face?" she asked.

"Well, Violet, this girl I live with, she's upset with me because I bought a gun today."

"Oh really? Well, if I was your girlfriend, I'd be upset with you too!"

Dash was taken aback. "What? Violet's not my girlfriend, she's my sister!"

"Well, why didn't you say that in the first place?"

Dash just shrugged his shoulders.

"Anyway, I believe you should get rid of your machine of death before she kicks you out onto the street!"

"Machine of death? Shoot, I got this same line from my sister. It is not a machine of death, it is a high velocity projectile launcher!"

The bartender gave him a dirty look. "It was built with the intent to kill, therefore, it is a machine of death!"

"Let me ask you this," said Dash, "if a gun lies in a box, in the corner of a closet, and nobody ever picks it up and shoots it, then who is killed by this 'machine of death'?" He even did the sarcastic air quotes around "machine of death."

"I'm sorry, sir, but company policy prohibits the sale of liquor to smart-asses," she said as she made an attempt to take the beer away from him. Fast as the bartender was, we all know Dash was faster, am I right or am I right? Anyway, Dash gulped down the beer as fast as he could.

"Too late!" he screamed. Then laughed maniacally for about 20 seconds. Unfortunately, Dash wasn't the type of guy who held his liquor very well. The only reason he stopped laughing was because he had passed out on the floor. Not long after that, Kari came out of the ladies' room, dragging a still unconscious Violet behind her.

"Okay, Kari, don't panic," she told herself, "we'll just get Dash and we'll take Violet home, and everything will be fine." Disappointment swept over her like a downpour of rain when she saw Dash on the floor, with as much life in him as his sister had at that point. "Oh, perfect, now I have to drag _both_ of their bodies all the way back to their apartment. I don't think I can do it alone." She stood up on a chair so she could get everyone's attention.

"EXCUSE ME! Yeah, hi, I need to move these two bodies back to their own home! Is anyone going to help me?" Nobody responded. "Okay, I'll pay 100 dollars to anyone who will help me get these two home!"

"I'll help!" said just about everyone in the place.

"I'll do it for only 95 dollars!" yelled someone in a green jacket.

"90 bucks," said someone else.

"Eighty-seven fifty."

"Do I hear 85?" Kari asked.

"85."

"80."

"75."

"Do I hear anything lower?"

"Forget the money," said Green Jacket, "I'll do it for free!"

Kari was surprised. Why didn't this person speak up earlier? "Do I hear any lower bids?" The bar was silent. "Sold, to the person in the green jacket!"

Green Jacket stood up and walked over to where Kari was. "So, what you want me to take these two home with you?"

"Oh no, they don't live with me, they live on Oriental Avenue."

"Uh-huh…well, we'll take them in my car, shall we?"

Green Jacket lifted Violet and Dash with relative ease and dragged them out to his yellow BMW. He threw them both in the trunk, quite carelessly. This came to Kari as quite a shock.

"What are you doing?" she screamed.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Miss Ditz? I'm taking them hostage, duh!"

(A/N: I'm sorry I re-hashed the gun thing again. BTW if any of you are upset because Dash ordered a beer when he's only 18, let me remind you that the drinking age wasn't changed from 18 to 21 until 1984, and this story takes place in 1981, so he is of legal drinking age. Unfortunately it my be a very long while before I can publish Chapter 12. Until we meet again, stay cool, okay? Okay, bye-bye, darling.)


	12. The Final Hours of April 23

Dateline: Thursday, April 23, 1981, 10:28 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Kari was astonished, but not surprised. Sure, she didn't see it coming: Violet and Dash being abducted by this strange person in a green jacket. But she wasn't surprised, because she was prepared. She reached into her handbag and produced her weapon, a .22 Magnum. She aimed it in Green Jacket's direction.

"DON'T MOVE!" she screamed. Green Jacket reached for the sky, trembling. "Now, you are going to do exactly as I say, or I'm going to plant six lead bullets into that big hole in your skull where your brain should be, you dig?" Green Jacket nodded. Kari gestured with the gun briefly to point at the trunk of the car, before pointing it back at the would-be abductor. "First, get my friends out of your trunk." The still trembling person did as Ms. McKean said. Violet clambered out of the trunk quickly. "Are you okay?" Kari asked.

"I'm fine," said Violet, "only, how did I get out here?"

"This guy tried to abduct you and your brother, but I saved you!"

Violet got a good look at Green Jacket. "Hey, I know you! You're that evil cabbie who kidnapped me earlier today!"

Green Jacket gasped. "Python?"

Then Kari gasped. "Okay, who are you, and how do you know her codename?"

Violet gasped as well. "Wait a minute, did you just say what my codename was?"

"Yeah," Green Jacket said, "how the f do _you _know her codename?"

Kari just smiled smugly, then said, "Python here has been my best friend since middle school. I've known all along."

Violet was understandably upset. "And you were planning on telling me this when?"

"Whenever the situation became so dire that there was no choice for me but to tell you that I knew, i.e., right now." In her peripheral vision, Kari noticed Green Jacket trying to get away. She fired a warning shot two inches in front of his/her face. "Get your butt back over here and tell us who you are and how you know who Python is!"

Green Jacket did as Kari said. "I am the Wicked Wichard of the West-by-Northwest."

"You can say that again," quipped Violet. "What the hell is a 'Wichard'?"

"A way for me to disguise my true gender," he (she?) said with a laugh.

"O-Kay," said Kari with a phony smile, while still pointing her gun at the Wichard, "but that still doesn't explain how you know her codename."

"My powers are great!" s/he exclaimed to a peal of thunder, "and I have spies everywhere. They have seen you and Rocket changing clothes in dark alleys."

"I see," said Violet, "but there's still one thing I don't understand."

"What are you talking about?" interrupted Kari. "It makes perfect sense…" But she was stopped by a quick jab to the stomach from Violet.

Vi continued, "What did you intend to do with us once you had kidnapped us?" She didn't really care what the answer was; she just wanted the Wichard to start monologuing.

"Well, I thought you would never ask…" s/he began, alerting Violet that now was the time to strike. "You see, I need the two of you as ingredients for a potion I am…" But the Wichard's trailed off when Violet delivered a blow to the back of his (her?) head with a nearby piece of pipe. "Ooh," s/he moaned as s/he fell onto the concrete. The Wicked Wichard of the West-by-Northwest was out for the count.

"Okay, we gotta get Dash and we gotta get home before she wakes up!" Violet said in a state of panic.

"Don't you mean before HE wakes up?" asked Kari.

"Whatever, let's just get the hell out of here!"

At that moment, Dash was waking up from his alcohol-induced slumber. "Dash!" Violet exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"I don't think so, Mom. I don't know if I can go to school today," he mumbled drunkenly.

"Oh, great, he's been drinking again!" Violet was now at her wit's end with her brother. "Come on, Kari, let's get him back home."

The two females lifted Dash and carefully threw him into the back seat of Kari's Camry. Then Ms. McKean drove the weary supers back to 1517 Oriental Avenue. As Vi stepped out, Kari called out to her.

"Listen," she said, "today is officially the very last day that I drive you to work!"

"WHAT?" Violet screamed. "Then what do you expect me to do, walk there? We had a deal, McKean!"

"Yes, we did. I would drive you to work until you didn't need me to do so anymore. And come tomorrow, you won't."

Violet was confused. "What are you saying, Kari?"

"Here, catch," she said as she tossed the keys to the Camry in Vi's direction. Violet caught them in mid-air. Then Kari stepped out of the driver's seat and onto the curb.

"But Kari," Violet protested, "how will you get home?"

"I'll get a taxicab. Besides, my dad just bought me a new car yesterday."

"Thank you," Vi said in tears. She hugged her friend as she walked off. Then Violet opened the back door of the car and dragged Dash out.

"The spin is rooming," mumbled Dash.

"Oh, no. I am NOT dragging you up two flights of stairs to your bed. You can just sleep in the car tonight!" And with that, Violet shoved her brother back into the car and locked all the doors. Then she started to climb the stairs that led back home when she remembered something: that crazy "Wichard" would probably wake up and kidnap Dash if she left him out there all night. Reluctantly, she reopened the car and lifted her brother up onto her shoulders in a fireman's carry.

Inside apartment 31A, Violet had tucked Dash in for the night and was sitting on the couch watching TV with her feet on the coffee table. Actually, it wasn't a coffee table per se, it was a giant cable spool that they found and were using as a coffee table. But, I digress. She feel asleep in front of the TV, all the while thinking that this apartment was the closest she and Dash would ever come to being homeless.

(A/N: Yea! No more stuff about April 23! I am NEVER going to write so much stuff about a single day ever again! Actually, come to think of it, I probably will, but I SO don't want to. You see the thing is, the way I'm writing this story is unique. I have many abstract ideas buzzing around in my skull, and as I'm writing, I try to put them all in some logical sequence. Does that sound stupid to anyone? Listen to me, I'm babbling about writing and nobody's even reading this part, I'll bet. Okay, I've said enough. Chapter 13 is under way. See ya!)


	13. June's Arrival

Dateline: (TGI) Friday, April 24, 1981, 6:43 AM, Pacifc Daylight Time.

"DASH!"

Violet's scream woke the young speed demon better than any alarm clock ever could. He could barely remember how he got home last night; he had so much to drink. It was only one beer, but for Dash, that was three too many. He did remember who he was, who Violet was, and what that particular scream meant. He also remembered his weapon. He grabbed from its special container, which was still in the kitchen, and burst into Violet's bedroom. There, he saw his sister cowering on her bed and a strange man standing beside her, with a pair of scissors in hand and a look of absolute fear on his face.

"All right, punk," Dash said in his most confident voice, "you've got ten seconds to tell me who you are, how you got in, and what you plan to do. ONE…"

The man screamed the girliest scream Dash had ever heard. "My name is June Mode," he quickly spat out, "Edna Mode is my cousin, she gave me her spare key, she told you two needed haircuts, please don't shoot me!"

Dash could see his sister calming down and returning to a normal position. "Dash!" Violet exclaimed, "put that thing away, he's cool."

"Then why were you…WHOA…I don't feel so good." Dash ran out of their sight at his usual speed.

Violet stared at June. "You idiot! You should have knocked first, not just waltzed on in here like you own the place!"

The fear on June's face dissipated, and remorse took its place. "You're right, I have a real problem with my etiquette. Anyway, I'm ready to get rid of that cape you have attached to your scalp."

"Huh?"

"Okay, listen, that hairdo of yours is only going to get you in trouble. It has once before, and if I don't cut it, it will again!"

Violet resigned herself to what was about to happen. "All right, fine, but if you could, make it snappy, I have to get to work by 9 AM."

"Don't worry about it, honey, when I'm finished, your hair will be functional and FABULOUS!" And with that, June made short work of Miss Parr's hair. And I do mean "short work." "All finished," he said with a flourish after about 7 minutes. But when Violet got a look at it, she screamed again.

"I look like Nancy Reagan!"

After that, Dash burst back into the room, still carrying his gun. He pointed it at Violet.

"All right, punk," he started to say, until Vi cut him off.

"Dash, it's me! Put that thing down!"

Dash got a good long look at Violet. Then he started stammering incomprehensibly. He turned to June and said "What did you do to her?"

"I don't see what you two are so worked up about. She looks great!"

"She looks like Jackie Kennedy!" exclaimed Dash.

"Well, however she looks, her hair can finally fit into that silly snakeskin beanie she wears with her super suit."

"It's a SKULLCAP, and you know it," Violet said through clenched teeth.

"What-EVER! Oh, speaking of super suits, my cousin Edna asked me to send over this." June reached into the bag he brought with him and pulled out a solid blue leotard and a matching mask. "Here you are, Rocket, it's the new you! Go ahead, try it on!"

Dash gave this new suit a once-over look. The new logo on the front was a nice touch, although he missed the racing stripes from his previous costume. And why blue? What was wrong with green and yellow?

"Nothing, Dashie, baby, it's just that blue is very popular this season," said the questionable June.

"Wait, did I say all that out loud?" asked Dash.

"Yeah, you did," June and Violet said in unison.

"Well, um," Dash tried to come up with an honest yet non-insulting response, "I like it, but I can't try it on right now, because I have to get ready for school."

"Oh, before I forget," said Violet, "Kim called last night and she said that she couldn't wait for tonight. What are you two planning to do?"

Violet did a plethora of things that got on Dash's nerves, but none more so than when she got involved in his affairs with Kim. "Not that it's any of your business," Dash scowled, "but if you must know, we're planing to see that old 'Empire Strikes Back' movie at the dollar cinema. And before you ask, no, you aren't coming with us!"

"I wasn't going to ask that," Violet began. June could easily see that he was no longer needed, so he quietly sneaked out the door. Neither Violet nor Dash saw him leave. But, I digress.

As I…I mean, as VIOLET was saying, "I've already seen it. I just thought you might like to know what the big secret is."

"And what would make you think that? That's the only reason Kim and I are going to see it. Besides, you know I can't keep secrets from my future wife. If you tell…"

"You're keeping a really big one from her right now, aren't you?"

Dash was stunned silent by the words from his sister's mouth. "That was low, Vi!"

"Dash, it's great that you have a source of female companionship besides me, but if this gets any more serious than it already is, something bad is going to happen."

"(Sigh) Vi, will you quit worrying! I love her, and nothing is going to happen as long as I'm around! Besides, don't you have other things to do?"

"Oh, shoot!" Violet and Dash went to their respective closets and changed into street attire faster than you could say Jack Robinson. "Oh, hey can you get breakfast at school today? Great, here's a five, knock yourself out, bye!" And with that, Violet dashed out side and floored the accelerator on their new used 1980 Toyota Camry. Meanwhile, Dash started his long walk to Metroville High.

(A/N: I'm sorry if I left out a lot of detail in that last paragraph, but I did it to create a sense of haste so you guys could empathize with the main characters. Was that a stupid idea or what? Let me know, okay? And please be honest in your reviews. Don't try to protect my feelings, cause I ain't got none, alright? Cool, chapter 14 is in the works. See y'all next time!)


	14. A New Member?

Dateline: Friday, April 24, 1981, 4:59 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Violet was so glad that Kari had given her this car. Now she finally had a chance to get to the bank without fear of being kidnapped by that crazy 'Wichard', or whatever he called himself. She quickly cashed her paycheck, which was something she had intended to do for 24 hours, and drove back home. When she got there, she sought out the apartment of the building manager, Mr. Von Braun. She knocked on the door and, much to her surprise, a female opened the door.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a German accent.

"Uh, hi, I'm looking for Mr. Von Braun, is he here?"

"No, my stupid husband is away on other business," the mysterious woman answered. "Are you here to drop off your rent?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am! I'm Violet Parr."

"Ah, yes, the delinquent tenant in 31A that my husband has been complaining about for the past three weeks. I assume you have three weeks' worth of rent with you."

"You assume correctly, Mrs. Von Braun, here you are," and Violet handed her the money. "Oh, hey, if you're not doing anything this Saturday, why not come over for dinner? It'll be my way of saying 'Thank you for not evicting my brother and I.'"

"I'll keep that in mind," said Mrs. Von Braun as the young super left for her own place.

Violet opened the door to the apartment that she and Dash shared. It was already unlocked, so she knew her brother was home from school. What she didn't expect to see in their living quarters was a young girl with red hair, carrying a cane and wearing sunglasses. She looked to be about Dash's age, so Violet figured that she was probably in one of his classes. After all, Dash let her in. She figured it would be smarter to ask her idiot brother who she was than it would be to chase this strange female out of the building. She found him in his bedroom, doing jumping jacks.

"Dash, who is this blind redhead sitting on the couch in the living room?"

"Fine, thanks, how was your day?" he said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

"I'm sorry, hi," she said as she kissed him in fraternal love.

"Yeah, she's a new super looking to join Alpha Force."

Violet cast him a sideways glance. "How did she find out that Alpha Force Headquarters was this apartment?"

"She followed me home," Dash said. And just as he did, he realized that Violet would undoubtedly have more questions.

"How did she find out you were affiliated with Alpha Force?"

"I'm not sure, she just walked right up to me and told me everything that I already knew about myself. Then she asked if she could join the team." Violet gave her brother a dirty look. "Oh, come on, Vi, we talked about this!"

"We talked about letting Jack-Jack join when he got older, not about letting…strangers in!"

_If you got to know me, then I wouldn't be a stranger,_ Violet heard someone say in her own mind. She whipped her head around to look at the girl on the couch.

_Is that her power, the ability to read minds?_

"And I'm telekinetic too," said the girl aloud. In an instant, Violet felt weightless. She was floating in mid-air for quite some time before the girl finally put her down. All the while, this mysterious girl didn't move a muscle.

"Dang. We need to have a little talk with her, to see if she really belongs on our team," said Violet.

The two founding members of the Force sat down on the couch, sandwiching the girl on either side. "Now we don't mean to intimidate you," Vi began, "but we at Alpha Force make it a point to know the people we work with on a deeper level."

"Are you two dating?" she asked.

"No way," Dash scoffed, "she's my sister. And from now on, we'll ask the questions, okay?"

"First things first, your name?"

"My name is Ashley Cohen."

"Do you have a codename yet?"

"Blind Tracy."

"Blind Tracy?"

"Middle name."

"Uh-huh. How did you get your powers?"

"Same way most supers do, I was born with them. I was also born blind."

"Have you done any previous hero work?"

"No."

"Were you ever a super villain?"

"No."

"Have you ever been arrested?"

"No."

"You're doing great so far," said Dash, "but we still have one last question."

"Why do you want to join Alpha Force?" asked Violet.

Ashley cleared her throat. "Well, I want to use my powers for good, be a super hero. I was going to go solo, but with my being blind, I knew it would never work out. So I figured the best thing to do would be to join a super team, and, well, Alpha Force is the only super team around."

"Okay," Dash said, "my sister and I will discuss this and we'll get back to you in less than three working days."

Despite her earlier suspicions, Violet now felt a strange sense of compassion for Ashley. "Here, let me give you a ride home," she offered. "Where do you live?"

"Oh, in a little suburb off of 41st Street," Ashley said, "Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah, it's Eastwood Valley," she responded.

The ride over there was mostly without incident. But when Violet got within sight of Ashley's neighborhood, she stopped the car in surprise.

"Are we there already?" Ashley asked as she prepared to exit the vehicle.

"NO! Stay here!" Violet screamed.

"Why? What's going on?"

"It's Herr Cannon, one of our foes. He's back, and he's destroying Eastwood Valley!"

(A/N: Does anyone see a pattern here besides me? Every third chapter is a setup for something fantastic. I'm not doing that on purpose, it just happened that way. Don't forget to review my story so I can see how I'm doing! Chapter 15 in under way! See you all next week, same Alpha time, same Alpha channel!)


	15. Herr Cannon Strikes Again

Dateline: Friday, April 24, 1981, 6:08 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Ashley usually wasn't bothered by her handicap, except for occasions when she would have given anything to experience sight. But at that very moment, for the very first time in her life, she was glad she was blind. Ashley hoped beyond all hope that this "Herr Cannon" or whoever hadn't reached her house, because she knew her mother and father were still inside.

Violet was surprised, which in this town means, "caught unprepared". She had conveniently forgotten to bring her super suit along. Thinking quickly, she called up Dash on her radio-watch.

"Rocket, this is Python, come in, over."

"Go ahead, Python."

"We have a situation in the Eastwood Valley, get over here and bring my suit, over."

"Roger that, be there in a jiffy, Rocket out."

In 2 seconds, literally, Rocket showed up in full costume, with Python's suit in tow.

"What took you so long?" Violet asked as she dressed up.

"I forgot to take out the garbage this morning," he explained.

"I must admit, blue does look good on you," commented Python. "Now, Ashley you stay here, my brother and I are going to take care of this monster."

"While what?" Ashley asked, "I stand idly by and hear the death screams of my friends and neighbors? I don't think so!"

"Well, what exactly do you plan to do about it? How can you fight an enemy you can't see?" Rocket asked her.

"I can track this guy's position telepathically," she said.

"Really? Well, in that case, I don't see why you shouldn't…"

"Say no more!" And with that, Blind Tracy stepped out of the car and rushed over to where Herr Cannon was. Python exchanged glances with Rocket, and the two chased after their potential teammate, ready for battle.

"Take this, you stuck up Suburbians!" Herr Cannon bellowed. He fired his weapon and wiped out another cracker-box style house. The noise was deafening, and Blind Tracy was dazed. Herr Cannon didn't notice the new super behind him until the original A-Forcers caught up.

"Stop, in the name of the law!" Rocket yelled.

Herr Cannon spun around. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the A team!"

"That's Alpha Force to you, pal!"

"Whatever," he mumbled. "If you're thinking you can stop me by drowning my powder like you did last time, you have another thing coming! You see I've developed a unique powder horn that is 100 percent waterproof! So even if you decide to…Hey!" Herr Cannon was floating in mid-air, no surprise to Python and Rocket. "What's going on?"

"Oh, how rude of me not to introduce you to our newest member!" Python said very snidely. "Blind Tracy, this is Herr Cannon, our arch-nemesis. Herr Cannon, this is Blind Tracy, our new telekinetic member."

Upon hearing this, Blind Tracy got very excited. "You really mean it?" she asked. "I'm Alpha Force material?" However, she forgot what she was doing and dropped Herr Cannon. He landed on his arm.

"OW!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "I think I broke something!"

"Well," Rocket said, "I guess our work here is done." The three supers quietly sneaked back to the car.

"WAIT!" Blind Tracy exclaimed. "My house! Did Herr Cannon destroy it?"

"I don't know," said Python, "which house is yours?"

Blind Tracy told her.

"Let me see," Rocket offered. He ran over to where Ashley said she lived. When he came back, he didn't say anything

"Well?"

Rocket somberly shook his head. Though Blind Tracy couldn't see his face, she read his mind and saw what had happened.

"No!" Ashley dropped down to her knees and started weeping. What else could she do? She had just become the world's first super-orphan. Violet and Dash each put a hand on her. They both felt like crying too. "What am I going to do now?" Ashley wailed.

"From the looks of things, I'd say that you're our responsibility now," Violet said.

Ashley suddenly stopped crying and started seething. "I'm going to make that son of a bitch pay for killing my parents, that's what I'm going to do!" she vowed.

"Okay, chill out, revenge never solved anything," Violet remarked. "We're going to get Herr Cannon, but we're going to get him together, as a team, because that's what Alpha Force does!"

"Oh, shoot!" Dash exclaimed, "We have to get back home! Kim is supposed to pick me up in 45 minutes!"

"Who's Kim?" asked Ashley.

Dash's face turned beet-red. "Well, ah, she's, uh, hey, wait a minute! Why are you asking if you can simply read my mind and find out?"

"Hmm, not a bad idea, Dash!" Ashley smirked in a way that told Dash he had been tricked. He quickly tried to think of anything and everything except his girlfriend. "That's not going to help, Speedo!"

"Leave him alone, Ashley," Violet scolded. "My brother hates when people get involved in his 'personal life'."

"Can we please just drop this and just…go home, please?"

"Okay, Mr. Touchy," Ashley retorted as the now three-strong Alpha Force piled back into the 1980 Camry. "Hey, what's for dinner?"

"Dash, are you staying for dinner, or were you planing to eat out with Miss Lavender?" asked Violet.

"I think it would be wise of you not to make dinner for me tonight," he answered.

"Of course not," Ashley mumbled under her breath, "he's going to fill up on Kimberly-loaf!"

Meanwhile, Herr Cannon got up and noticed that Alpha Force was gone. Smiling and feeling very sure of himself, he tried to resume his destructive plot. However, he was stopped dead in his tracks by the searing pain in his right arm. It was then that he realized that Alpha Force had beaten him once again.

"This is NOT the end!" Herr Cannon hollered at the air. "I will heal! I will return! I will prevail! I will be victorious! You'll see! You'll all see!"

(A/N: What did you think? Let me know, please! BTW, I'm looking for any experts on 80's pop culture whose vast knowledge could very well improve my story. Drop me a line if you want to enlighten me, you know how! Chapter 16 in the works!)


	16. Squared Away

Dateline: Friday, April 24, 1981, 7:50 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

It was a good thing Violet and Dash had changed back into street clothes before returning home. When they got there, who should be waiting for them but Kimberly Lavender, Dash's girlfriend? Kim knew everything there was to know about her beloved. At least, that's what she thought, because she had no idea Dash was a superhero. But, she did know about him living with Violet, and she didn't think anything of it. It was this strange redhead wearing sunglasses that raised suspicion in her mind.

"Hello, Dashell," she said.

_Uh, oh,_ Dash thought. "Hey, Kimmy," he said nervously, "you ready to go?"

"Who's this girl?" she asked, pointing at Ashley.

"This is…" Dash tried to think of an honest response that wouldn't reveal his secret identity. "…our new roommate. She's just moving in today. Ashley, this is my girlfriend Kim. Kim, this is Ashley."

Ashley seemed to pick up on Dash's cue right away. She stuck out her hand for Kim to shake. "Nice to meet you," she said.

"Uh, I'm over here," Kim said politely. Ashley righted herself, and the two quickly exchanged pleasantries.

"Well, I'm sure you two are pretty anxious to get to the theater," Violet was saying, "so why don't I just show our new roommate inside while you guys get going, okay?"

"Okay," said Dash. "Don't wait up for me!"  
"Don't worry, I won't! Bye!"

"Bye-bye!"

SLAM went the door.

"All right," said Violet, "If you're going to be a part of Alpha Force, there are certain things we have to do."

"What, like initiation hazing or something?" asked Ashley.

"No, not quite." Violet left the room for a moment, and when she came back, she placed something on Ashley's wrist that felt kind of strange.

"This is an Alpha Force Radio Watch; it's how we keep contact with each other," Violet explained. She took Ashley's hand and guided it to the different buttons on the unit so she could find her way around it. "And the best part is, it looks like an ordinary watch, so no one will suspect something unusual."

"Are you sure?" Ashley asked. "I don't know, a blind girl wearing a watch is going to look pretty unusual, methinks."

Violet thought about it for a while. "Okay, I think our technical contact might be able to make it talk or something, so it doesn't seem strange, okay? And one more thing, you need a costume."

"How come?"

"So you can keep your identity a secret! Hello? Don't worry, I know someone who can make you the perfect suit."

"Yeah, thanks, that's great, hey, when's dinner?"

"There's plenty of food in the pantry, help yourself."

Violet guided the sightless super to the kitchen. Ashley navigated the room by touch and identified food by smell. She began by snacking on some week-old pizza in the fridge. Ashley didn't use a plate or silverware, which sort of creeped Violet out.

As Ashley raided the kitchen, Violet went to the phone in her bedroom to call Edna. But the phone beat her to the punch. It rang just seconds before she picked it up.

_Strange,_ Violet thought as she answered the call.

It was Mrs. Von Braun. "Hello, Violet," she said. "Listen, my husband just had a medical emergency, so I'm afraid we won't be able to make it to dinner on Saturday. Could we reschedule?"

"Sure, why not? Is Sunday okay?"

"Sunday would be perfect! I'll bring the dessert!"

"Great, see you then!" Violet hung up, and then she dialed Edna's number.

"E, this is Python, and before you say anything, all I need is a new suit for a new member of our team. Do you think you can do that?"

"What do you think, I'm an incompetent kindergartner? Of course I can outfit your newest member! So, when do I meet the new hero?"

"Meet? No, no…"

"You should know better than to make me beg by know, Violet! We've been over this many times, you know!"

E was doing it again, knocking Violet off her high horse and scrambling on herself. Violet struggled to come up with a solid comeback line, but her attempts failed.

"You and your new teammate get to my place first thing tomorrow morning and I'll make you all breakfast, I insist, okay? Okay, bye-bye, Python." Click. Dial tone.

_I can't believe she did that to me again!_

"Me neither."

Violet was thrown for a loop. "Ashley!"

"I'm sorry. Were you having a private conversation with yourself?"

"Don't ever do that again!" Violet said wagging her finger.

"Yes, ma'am!" said Ashley in pseudo-military style, complete with phony salute. She slowly walked back to the kitchen to finish her meal.

_She's just as irritating as Dash was when he was younger._

"I heard that!"

Now Violet was exasperated. _Oh, you did, did you? Well, hear this, I'm going to bed!_

"But you haven't had any dinner yet!"

"Hmm. Come to think of it, I am kind of hungry."

Violet came out of her bedroom and saw Ashley practically making a floor show out of the kitchen with her telekinesis.

"Having fun?" she asked amid her snickering.

"Why don't you take a picture?" quipped Ashley, "It'll last longer."

Now Violet was laughing her head off. "Who's going to see it? You?"

"That was cheap, Parr!" Ashley screamed. Then she telekinetically flung a dollop of sour cream in Violet's direction. Luckily, Violet projected a shield around it to defend herself. After she dispersed the shield, she grabbed the sour cream in mid-air and returned fire. She scored a direct hit. "That does it!" screamed the one who could not see an inch in front of her.

And the next thing you know, the two girls are having a pretty intense food fight.

That's when Dash and Kim came back from the movies.

"I still can't believe Darth Vader is Luke's father!" Kim said.

"I know, it's mind-boggling!" her beau responded. He went to open the door to apartment 31A. But when he saw what was going on in his humble abode, he shut the door and tried to forget what he saw.

"What's wrong, shnookums?" asked Kim.

"Uh, would you mind if I bunked at your place tonight?"

(A/N: I saw this chapter as being mostly mundane at first. The food fight at the end there didn't show up until I finalized the chapter. I had about 17 Kit Kat bars then and I was on a massive sugar high. I used to criticize sugar-induced creativity, but now I get it. So, did it stink worse than an acre of wet dogs or what? Let me know, and be honest! Chapter 17 is under construction! However it may be a while before I can publish it. I know I always say that, but this time I'm dead serious!)


	17. Ashley meets E

(A/N: Okay, before I even start this chapter, I should say something. I have finally figured out where on earth the city of Metroville is. It's in California, near the Nevada border. To everyone who already knew that and are upset with me for not knowing it sooner, please feel free to smack me in the head…now. (SMACK!) Thank you! Anyway, now that I have this information, I have gone back and changed all references of "Metroville Time" to "Pacific Time". I am sorry for the interruption. And now, on with the story!)

Dateline: Saturday, April 25, 1981, 6:35 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Violet awoke on the living room floor in a sticky pile of various food items. Her hair was caked in some pudding-like substance; it felt like it had turned to straw. The odor was so strong, it made her stomach do flip-flops, backflips, and sundry other gymnastics. And the apartment didn't exactly look like a bed of roses either. Violet was absolutely disgusted, not only at the sight of her living quarters, but also at the extensive cleaning job ahead of her. It was then that she came to realize the awful truth that she had been denying for so long.

_I have turned into my mother!_

Violet knew she would have to spend hours agonizing over this new epiphany in the traditional feminine way…later. Right now, she needed to rally the troops and get to Edna's place before she came over there herself and hog-tied everyone to her car and dragged them all back. Again. She started by rousing Ashley.

"Come on, Blind Tracy, get up!" she said while shaking her comatose body. But there was no response. "Oh, I know what'll wake you up!" She crawled to the kitchen and retrieved a large bucket marked "FOOL-PROOF WAKE-UP SYSTEM" from under the sink. Then she filled the bucket with water from the tap. After that, she emptied the bucket of all its contents…all over Ashley. And the amazing thing was it worked!

"I'm up!" Ashley screamed.

"Good, because we've got somewhere to be today. So, get clean and get dressed."

"All right, where's the bathroom?"

Violet guided her to the shower just outside her bedroom. Vi cringed at the thought of using the shower inside of Dash's bedroom, but she knew she would have to get clean somehow. To her surprise, Dash's commode was clean as a whistle. As soon as she was finished bathing, she put in a call to her trusty brother. She had deduced that since he wasn't at the apartment, he must have seen what happened and decided to stay at Kim's house that evening.

"Dash, it's me, don't speak, listen! E has insisted that we pay her a visit so she could put together a suit for Ashley. You will be outside the gate to her house in thirty minutes, got it?"

"Yeah, sure, Vi, I'll be there…I love you too…bye!"

Dash hung up. Then he tried to come up with an excuse for leaving Kim's house on such short notice.

"That was Violet, she needs me to buy milk for her at the supermarket," was the best he could think of.

"Well, why don't I take you, honey?" she asked.

"Oh, you don't need to do that, Kim. I can take the bus."

"Okay," she said, and she said it with a tear in her voice.

Knowing that Kim was hurt, Dash kissed her goodbye. "I love you, Kimberly." And with that, he was off for the rendezvous point.

"It's great to finally see the newfangled Alpha Force in my humble home," E droned.

"Oh, please," said Violet, "this place isn't humble."

"Nah, it just needs a fresh coat of paint," said Dash, "then it'll be humble!" Of course, this prompted E to give Dash that look, you know the one! "Kidding!" he responded with a smile plastered on his face.

"Hmm, this is the new member, yes?" E asked while gripping Ashley by the wrist.

"Yes, I'm Ashley Cohen, where are you taking me?"

"That's nice, darling, but I need your codename too, if you don't mind."

"Well, I do mind, and I'm not telling you nothing until…d'oh!" Edna had accidentally led Ashley into walking into the doorway.

"What is the matter with you? Why didn't you move out of the way? Could you not see it? Are you completely blind?"

"Uh, oh. This won't be pretty," Dash whispered to his sister.

"Yes! I am!" Ashley screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, excuse me, darling, I had no idea," E said in a tone that made her sound uneasy, for the first time in her life.

"That's okay, just don't do it again or else!"

Violet elbowed Dash in the rib. "You were saying?"

"Anyway, I think I have just the outfit for you, uh, what did you say your codename was?"

"Call me Blind Tracy, and I hope it's something classic, like Syndrome!"

"SYNDROME?" said Violet, Dash, and E in unison.

"Well, yeah, why not? From what I've heard, he had a classy outfit. You know, white lettering on a black background, complete with that cape…"

"NO CAPES!" exclaimed E.

"Uh, oh," said Violet, "we gotta stop her before she gets into her speech again!"

"Do you remember Stratogale?"

"Too late," said Dash.

And then E went into her standard issue anti-cape speech, which I'm sure you all have heard a thousand times.

"Okay, okay, no capes, I get it," Ashley conceded.

"Good, good, other than that, I think you were on to something with this Syndrome thing. Now, go on, your suit will be ready before your next assignment."

"I'M AFRAID THAT YOU ARE MISTAKEN IN THAT STATEMENT, MS. MODE!"

"Who said that?" asked Ashley.

"Who is that?" asked Dash.

"What is he doing here?" asked E.

Violet sighed. "I'm not 100 percent sure that he is a 'he', but that is the Wicked Wichard of the West-by-Northwest."

"And I am here to finish what I started Thursday!" s/he exulted.

"Awww, do we have to do this now?" asked Ashley, "I just ate breakfast."

(A/N: It's that time again. I think I've hit the secret recipe for the perfect Incredibles fanfiction. It's two parts mundane to one part fantastic! I am currently thinking about NOT writing a sequel to this story. It's not finished yet, and by the time I do finish, I'll be too sick to give it another thought. So when I DO finish, if you guys want a sequel, you can write it yourselves. But, I may change my mind in the near future, so forget everything I just said. Okay, Chapter 18 under construction, see ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!)


	18. The Mirror Maze

Dateline: Saturday, April 25, 1981, 10:57 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Ever since her previous encounter with this abomination, Violet wished she would never have to see the Wicked Wichard of the West-by-Northwest again. And yet, here he (she?) was. Dash had never seen him/her, and Ashley couldn't if she tried. Violet envied them both because of that.

_Now listen carefully, Ashley;_ Dash thought to her, _the best time to defeat a super villain is when they are monologuing._

"Huh?" Ashley asked aloud.

_Just watch me, I'll show you what I mean._ Dash cleared his throat and said to the villainous fiend, "What exactly do you intend to do?"

Unfortunately, the Wichard was wise to the Force's plan, having been defeated by it before. "You know what, instead of explaining it to you and getting killed before I finish, I'm just going to do it…now." S/he waved his/her arms in such a way that would make a normal person appear to be mentally retarded. When s/he finished, Violet, Dash, and E all gasped.

"What have you done to my house?" E raved.

"Guys, what's going on?" asked the still sightless Ashley.

"I think he…or she…just cast a spell that turned your house into a maze of mirrors, E," Violet inferred.

"Great," said Dash, "so how are we supposed to get…OW…T of here? OW!" And he kept saying "OW" because he kept running into mirrors.

"I think I have an idea," Edna mused, "I think if we walk to familiar landmarks, we can…OW! Curse these mirrors! How's a person supposed to get out when every step she takes changes where out is?"

"So, Dash," Ashley muttered, "when does this guy start, uh, what did you call it, monologuing?"

"He never did, for some strange reason…" And as he said that he glared at his sister's reflection.

"Why are you looking at me?" she asked.

"Obviously you faced this guy before, and now he knows our strategy!"

"If that's all the strategy you guys have, you guys need to really reconsider hero work," commented Edna.

"You stay out of this, E!" screamed Dash. "As I was saying, why didn't you tell me you met this guy? When was this?"

"It was Thursday night, you were unconscious when it happened."

"And now, because of that, we are now trapped in this infernal maze of mirrors with absolutely no chance of egress!" Dash pounded one of the mirrors and hurt his hand.

"What do you mean 'no chance of egress?' (Whatever that means.)" Ashley asked. "All you have to do to get out is follow the wall!"

"But how are you able to tell between a wall and an open passageway?" asked someone. "They look exactly the same!"

Ashley groaned. "Do you really think that I have been navigating this labyrinth by sight?"

"Ashley, you're a genius!" said Violet. "If we can't see the mirrors, we can't get confused by them!" She closed her eyes and tried to get to the exit. She didn't take more than two steps before she tripped over Edna's couch. "Oof!"

"Amateur!" Ashley said. "Here, let me help you." She tracked Vi's position via her telepathy, then lifted her telekinetically and carried her to the exit. When they were outside, Violet noticed something was wrong.

"We can't leave E and Dash in there!"

"(Sigh.) Here we go again." And with that, Ashley reentered the maze. By the time she reemerged, with Edna and Dash in tow, Violet had fallen asleep.

"Well," said Dash, "thank goodness that's over with."

"Not quite, young Rocket," said Edna as she reopened the door to her house. "You're not really thinking of leaving my house in this deplorable condition, are you?"

"I don't know, I kind of like the fact that it is no longer simple to get around in," said the Wichard, who had returned just as unexpectedly as s/he first arrived.

"Huh, what?" Violet had finally awoke from her slumber. "Oh, no, not again!"

Dash wasn't going to take any chances this time. He leapt onto that spell-casting sum/bitch and began to pound the living tar out of him/her. Not to be outdone, the Wichard zapped a small amount of electricity into Dash's system, blowing the young speed demon sky high. Then s/he got up and aimed for Violet. Luckily, she was able to protect herself with a force field, though, not for long. The field couldn't stand up to the enormous electricity, causing Violet to pass out from exhaustion. With Violet down for the count and Dash halfway to Mars, it was up to Ashley Cohen to save the day. And she knew exactly what to do.

"Hold it!" she screamed. "You don't want to do that!"

"Why not?" asked the Wichard.

"Your name is Loren Kriznek, and you're a male stripper. If you let me and my friends go, I promise I won't tell your mother what you do for a living!"

"How do you know my mother isn't already dead?" asked Loren.

"Oh, please! You still live with your mother! Wow, you live with her and she doesn't know what you do for a living? Harriet must be really dense. That is your mother's name, is it not?"

Loren began to tremble. "How do you know all of this?"

Ashley snorted. "I read your mind, moron! Now I suggest you get out of here before I find out the things that really embarrass you!" She didn't have to tell _him_ twice!

_Why didn't we think of this before?_ Ashley thought to herself.

"Oh…" Violet was returning to consciousness. "Hey, what happened? Did we win? Where's Dash?" At that moment, Dash came crashing back to Earth. He landed with not so much a _thud,_ but more like a _crunch._

"Ooh, I don't like the sound of that," Ashley cringed. "How does he look?"

"Not too good, I'm afraid," Violet said somberly.

"Oh, no, what are we going to do?"

"There's only one thing we can do. This is a job for…SUPERDOC!"

(A/N: There is something very interesting about this chapter. Excluding this little note you're reading, this chapter contains exactly one thousand words. Count them if you don't believe me, I dare you! BTW: The reason I revealed the Wichard's gender here was because I got tired of writing 'him/her' every freaking time! And I'm sure you got tired of reading it too. Anyway, it's going to be a while before I post chapter 19; I haven't even started writing it yet. I'm running on fumes now, so if anybody out there has some fantastic ideas, I want to hear them, please!)


	19. At the hospital

Shannon Gibson III was always humiliated by his name, and rightfully so. He was named after his father and his grandmother before him. He was determined to earn himself a nickname that would make everyone forget the name he was born with. While some of his close friends and associates called him Trey, he longed for a name that would become a household word.

After receiving a medical degree from the Medical University of Metroville (and being the first black man to do so), he began to study a then non-existent branch of medicine: superology, which is the study of the physiology and medical treatment of supers. Within a year, he quickly became known as the best doctor for supers in the United States. Along with this recognition, he earned the name he sought after since youth: SUPERDOC.

Dateline: Saturday, April 25, 1981, 2:35 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Well, Violet," Dr. Gibson began, "considering the way you describe the incident, I'm surprised Dash's injuries aren't more extensive."

"Uh-huh," she responded, "so what exactly is the matter?"

"Just a fractured femur is all. I'll have a specialist look at it, we'll give him an operation, yadda yadda yadda, bottom line, he'll be incapacitated for about four days."

"FOUR DAYS?" screamed Violet and Ashley in unison.

"Do you have any idea what terrible disasters could occur in four days?" asked Ashley.

Superdoc understood her concern. "I could give him an experimental drug that might speed up the healing time, and he'll be up and about by tomorrow. But I wouldn't recommend it, I haven't run it by the FDA yet."

Violet thought about this for a minute. "I won't risk my brother's health for anything, even if it means the team will be short-handed for a while."

"You made a wise choice, Python," said Superdoc.

"Please, don't use my codename while I'm out of costume."

"Sorry. Hey, I know somebody who might be able to lend a hand to your cause while Dash is in the wheelchair."

"I'm listening."

"His name is José Hernandez, but his codename is Heartthrob. That's because his powers only work while his heart rate is 100 beats per minute or more."

"And what exactly would those powers be?"

"Super-strength, super-speed, super-sight, he can clone himself, walk through walls, summon fire, water, wind, electricity, you name it!"

"Impressive," commented Ashley, "but the real question is, does he have any weaknesses?"

"The only thing I can think of that would be considered a weakness is the fact that he can't use his powers unless his heart is beating fast enough."

"Okay, call him, have him come over to our place, and we'll see about making him part of Alpha Force," said Violet.

After this conversation, Violet and Ashley went over to Dash's bed in the emergency room.

"Hey, guys," said Dash. "I'm sorry I won't be able to help you save Metroville."

"It's not your fault, Dash," said Violet. "Don't worry about Alpha Force, we're about to get a little extra help."

"What are you saying, Vi?"

Violet told him about José.

"Wow, he sounds great, but this is just until I get better, right?"

"Well," said Ashley, "maybe just until you get better, maybe forever, it depends on how well he performs in action."

"Yeah, sure." Dash felt like he had just been replaced.

Just then, Kimberly Lavender arrived. "Hey, I got down here as fast as I could, is Dash all right?"

"It's just a broken leg, thank God it's nothing worse."

Kim knelt beside Dash's bed and gripped his hand. "Are you feeling okay, sugar?"

"I'm fine, dear. I'll just be in a wheelchair for awhile. Don't worry about me."

"I love you, Dashie."

"I love you too, Kimmy."

Kim kissed her beau goodbye and fled for the hallway. As she left, she bumped into Dr. Gibson.

"Hello, Dr. Gibson," she said.

Without looking up from his clipboard, he said, "Hey, Kim." He made his way to Dash's bed. "They're ready for you."

"You should head home, Violet, you never know when the sheriff might call," said Dash.

"Okay, call me when you're ready to leave," she responded, holding up her watch.

Back at home, Ashley was wondering about something. "Hey Violet, how are we going to pay for Dash's operation?"

"I'm pretty sure our insurance from MPD will cover him. Oh, hey, I've been meaning to ask you how you were able to beat the Wicked Wichard."

Ashley told her everything.

"So he is a man?"

"Yeah."

"And he still lives with his mother?"

"Yup. I'm pretty sure we've seen the last of old Loren Kriznek."

Meanwhile, on the other side of town…

"And you say she learned all of this by reading your mind?"

"Oh yeah," said Loren. "Imagine it, Vox. The power of Alpha Force is greater now than before! If only I could capture them all, I could become the most powerful person on earth! Mwahahahaha…"

"LOREN! DID YOU REMEMBER TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH THIS MORNING?"

"YES, MOTHER!" Loren rolled his eyes. "Uh, where was I?"

"You were right in the middle of your evil laugh, sir," said Vox.

"Oh, yeah…Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!"

"DID YOU REMEMBER THE BATHROOM TRASH?"

"ERRGH! YES, MOTHER!"

"DON'T YOU GROWL AT ME, YOUNG MAN!"

"I'M THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OLD, MA! DON'T CALL ME 'YOUNG MAN!'" Loren growled at no one in particular.

"Um, sir," said Vox, "if they have a telepathic on their side, how are we supposed to keep our secret plan, um, a secret?"

"I'm glad you asked, Vox, my loyal assistant. I happen to have just such a remedy for their 'psychic friend'. Come, I'll show you."

(A/N: To all those who would yell at me because I said Dash would heal in four days, let me remind you that the core value of superology is to get the patient back on their feet as rapidly as possible, and supers have access to things that normals do not. Wow, was that the longest sentence you ever read or what? Okay, Chapter 20 is coming, but I haven't started writing it yet. Until then, you guys know where the review button is!)


	20. Mr Von Braun is WHO?

Dateline: Saturday, April 25, 1981, 6:07 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

When they got the call from Dash, Violet and Ashley drove over there to get him. Once they got back, the group was faced with a new problem.

"How am I supposed to get back upstairs in this thing?" asked Dash.

"The elevator?" suggested Ashley.

"The building has no elevator," Violet pointed out. "We'll have to carry him up the stairs."

"Not a problem," said Ashley as she lifted the wheelchair with her telekinesis.

"Now, THIS is a first class ride!" exclaimed Dash as the surrogate family entered apartment 31A.

Within 10 minutes, Violet was in the kitchen preparing dinner, Dash was in the living room watching the evening news, and Ashley was listening to Three Blind Mice on their archaic record player. Everything was running smooth like clockwork until…

KNOCK KNOCK.

"I suppose I'll get that," said Violet after scanning the apartment and seeing that nobody else could.

It was Mrs. Von Braun and her husband. "Hallo, Fraulein Parr, so good to see you, is the dinner ready?"

"Mrs. Von Braun, what a surprise, I wasn't expecting you until Sunday!"

"Yes, I know, but my husband insisted we come over today. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all, I'll just have to make two hamburgers," Violet said with a phony smile plastered on her face. "Come in, make yourselves at home, act like you own the place. What am I saying? You DO own the place!" Nobody laughed.

"Violet, don't joke around with the landlady, please," Dash said as he wheeled himself over to where Ashley was listening to music. He scratched the record loudly.

"Hey!"

"Look alive, Cohen, we have company!"

"So, is this another tenant for to be living in this apartment?" asked Mr. Von Braun.

"Yes, actually, this is Ashley Cohen, she was recently orphaned and we decided to take her in," explained Violet from the kitchen. "Ashley, this is Mr. Von Braun, our landlord."

"Nice to meet you, sir."

"Over here, Miss Cohen."

"Sorry, you'll have to excuse me, I'm blind as a bat."

"Well, I suppose it's good that you can't see my arm in a sling, or you'd probably make fun of me. Like everyone else has."

Dash thought that it was a little strange that Mr. Von Braun had broken his arm so suddenly. "How did you break your arm, sir?"

"Uh, I, uh, fell…off a ladder. Yeah, that's it, a ladder! And your did you break your leg?"

"Um, I…ALSO fell off a ladder! Yeah, heh, heh, what a coincidence, huh?" Dash was sweating bullets, but thankfully, nobody seemed to notice.

After a while, the five of them were seated at the table enjoying hamburgers and baked potatoes. There was absolutely zero conversation exchanged amongst the group. Ashley was bored to tears, and desperate to hear someone speaking. So she decided to read the minds of those assembled. She started with Mrs. Von Braun.

_Hmm, Violet makes a fairly decent baked potato. Then again, potatoes are idiot-proof. These burgers leave something to be desired. The burgers at O'Daniel's are dripping with grease, but they still taste better than Fraulein Parr's._

"Hey! Violet is a great cook!"

"Huh?"

"What?"

_Did I say that outloud?_ Ashley thought. "Nothing!" _Hmm, what's on _your _mind, Python?_

_Why did she blurt that out like that? Was she reading someone's mind? That girl lacks subtlety. _

_I know, boss, I'm sorry. _Ashley thought-said to Violet.

_Knock it off!_

_All right! I'll just read Dash's mind, then._

_Man, this sucks. I won't be able to go in to work on Monday with this broken leg. How pathetic, I'm going to get fired before I even have a full day of work. What am I going to tell Kim?_

Last on the list was Mr. Von Braun, and his thoughts were the most shocking of all.

_I know I've seen this Ashley Cohen girl somewhere before, but where? Hmm, a blind redhead? Wait a second, she must have been that Blind Tracy girl, the newest member of Alpha Force, who gave me this broken arm. But then, that would mean that Violet is Python and Dash is Rocket! Ha, Ha. Wouldn't that just be poetic justice? A league of super heroes unknowingly supporting the evil wiles of their arch-nemesis…_

"OH MY GOD!"

"What is it?" asked Violet.

"I can't say, can we get rid of our guests, politely, please?"

"Uh, sure. Hey, guys, you know we like you…"

"Don't say another word, Violet," said Mr. Von Braun. "We know when it is best to depart. Come, Gretchen, let's go home and have dessert!"

"Ooh!" And with that, the Von Brauns got up and left. When they were gone, Ashley told her teammates what she had discovered.

"JURGEN VON BRAUN, OUR LANDLORD, IS ACTUALLY HERR CANNON!"

"WHAT?"

"I swear I'm not lying! I read his mind!"

"Well, then we have to move!" said Violet.

"To where?" asked Dash. "We can't afford a 30-year mortgage!"

"But we can't stay here! Every time we pay him rent, we'll be supporting his terrorism!"

"There's something else!" Ashley butted in.

"What?"

"He recognized me as Blind Tracy, and from there, he figured out that we are Alpha Force!"

"Oh, no! This is a disaster!"

"I know! So, what are we going to do about it?"

"I say we sleep on it," suggested Dash. "He's not going to be doing anything tonight, so why should we?"

"You make a good point there, bro," said Violet. So, Violet went to her bedroom, changed into her nightclothes, and slept through the night. Ashley slept in Dash's room, while Dash slept in his wheelchair in the living room.

Meanwhile, inside the manager's apartment…

"Hey, Gretchen, I have great news!"

"What is it, Jurgen, my dear?"

"I know the identity of the members of Alpha Force."

"Alpha Force? Oh, that's that new super team you fight against as Herr Cannon, right?"

"Ja, and you won't believe me when I tell you!"

"Try me."

"They are the people in 31A, who we just ate dinner with!"

"You're kidding!"

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me!"

"You know, dear, I really wish you wouldn't destroy the homes of so many innocent people with your massive cannon."

"Darling, I'm doing this for you! Once I destroy all suburban residences, everyone will have to live in an apartment. Then, when I take over all the apartment buildings in the world, you and I will live like the king and queen of the planet!"

"But Jurgen, what about all those people who get killed by your cannon fire?"

"I say good riddance! They wouldn't fit in our buildings anyway!"

"My dear, I had no idea you had such disregard for human life!"

"Oh, you'll get over it, dear. Now, where were we?"

"Oh, I can't tonight, Jurgen. I have such a headache!"

(A/N: WHOO! Finally! I've been waiting to reveal this little bit of information since Chapter 1! All right, I know I dropped enough coded hints in the previous chapters for those with sharp eyes to figure this out, so tell me, who saw this one coming? Anyway, you know where the review button is! BTW, some of you have been reading The Cluedoville Files, and I want to know what you guys think of them, if you don't mind. Hey, hey, hey, Chapter 21 is on the way! See you!)


	21. An Explosive Situation

Dateline: Sunday, April 26, 1981, 6:51 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Violet awoke to the unusual sound of the Alpha Phone. _That has to be the sheriff, _she thought, _but what could he possibly want at this hour?_ She answered it in haste.

"Python, we have a situation in the Sapphire Village again."

"Let me guess, it's Herr Cannon?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Wait. How is he able to use his cannon? I thought he still had a broken arm."

"He does, but you don't need two hands to plant a bomb."

"Oh my God! Please be with us today!"

"He's targeted a specific house, and has taken the sole occupant prisoner."

"What's the address?"

The sheriff told her, and she recognized it immediately. She dropped the phone and stared off into space for about three seconds.

"Python? Python, are you there?"

She grabbed the phone. "Yeah, I'm still here, and we're on the job." Violet hung up. "Hey, Dash! Dash, wake up!" There was no response. "Dash, don't make me get the bucket again!"

"I'm up!" he exclaimed. "I'll be ready for church in a few minutes!"

"Never mind that, where's Ashley?"

"Sleeping in my room, probably."

Violet cast her brother a look of confusion. "Why?"

"Because I wasn't using it? I don't know, ask her!"

Violet strode to Dash's room and found Ashley sleeping there in a fetal position. "Look alive, Blind Tracy! It's showtime!"

"Showtime at this hour? You gotta be kidding me! Besides, I can't face a villain in street clothes again!"

Almost as if on cue, the doorbell rang. When Violet opened it, June Mode was standing there.

"Special delivery for a young super known as Blind Tracy, one super suit ready for action!"

"Thank you," said Violet, "and not a moment too soon!" When June left, Violet opened the suit and got a good look at it. It was reminiscent of Syndrome, with a large white "T" for Tracy instead of an "S". And no cape, naturally. Violet aided Ashley in suiting up, and they headed for the door.

"Make sure nobody comes in here, okay, Dash?" said Python.

"Don't worry about me, short stuff!"

"You know I hate it when you call me that!"

"Yes, I do!" he said smiling.

On the way to the target, Python went over the strategy with Blind Tracy.

"I'm not sure I can do this," Blind Tracy whined.

"Ashley, we're superheroes. Doubt is a luxury we can't afford anymore."

"Like cable TV?"

"Yes, exactly like cable TV," Python said snickering. "Now, we can't afford to screw this up, because if we do, Alpha Force will be severely handicapped."

"How come? Who is this person that Herr Cannon is trying to kill?"

"It's our technologist, Carmen Peña, also known as Mirage."

"Mirage? Wasn't she…?"

"Yes, she was, but she works for us now, okay?"

"Okay."

"We're approaching the target. Ready?"

"Python, I was born ready!"

They climbed out of the car and walked forward to face their nemesis. Herr Cannon stood with his right arm still in a sling and his meteor-sized left hand gripped firmly around Mirage's wrists.

"Python! Don't worry about me!"

"Mirage, you're like family to me, and I'm going to rescue you!"

"A lot of good she'll be," said Herr Cannon, jerking Mirage wildly, "when that bomb I planted goes off! Then she'll be tech-less, homeless, and utterly useless! Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!"

"And what do you plan to do after that?" asked Blind Tracy.

"After this, I'll wait awhile until my arm heals, then I'll be back up to…"

While Blind Tracy kept Herr Cannon occupied in conversation, Python turned invisible and sneaked into Mirage's house. She searched for 10 minutes and finally found the sucker in the living room, under the couch. The timer read 3:00, 2:59, 2:58…

"Rocket, this is Python, come in, do you read me?"

"This is Rocket, go ahead Python."

"Rocket, do you remember what Dad taught us about defusing bombs?"

"I sure do. You got a pair of scissors?"

Python projected a force field in the shape of a pair of scissors. "Got it."

"All right, you need to cut the red wire first, that will stop the timer."

Snip. The timer stopped at 2:25. "Check."

"Now cut the blue wire, and he won't be able to detonate it remotely."

Snip. "Wait, was that the dark blue wire or the light blue wire?"

"The dark blue wire, why?"

"Damn it! I cut the light blue wire!"

"You idiot! That's the special anti-meddling-kids wire!"

"Well what does it do?"

"If that wire gets cut, it activates a back up detonator! The bomb is gonna blow in 20 seconds, and there's nothing you can do to stop it!"

"The hell there isn't! I know a way! Python out!"

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

BOOM!

The bomb did go off…inside one of Python's force fields! Nothing was damaged; Mirage's house still stood. Now, she had to get back outside for phase two of the plan. She disappeared and sneaked back out onto the street, where Herr Cannon and Blind Tracy were still talking.

"I must admit, your new super suit looks great on you."

"Are you sure, it feels like it's a little revealing, you know what I mean?"

"Well, I suppose it should feel that wOW!" Herr Cannon screamed and dropped his hostage. He never saw Python run her knuckle up his back. Still invisible, Python leapt onto Herr Cannon's writhing body and proceeded to beat the daylights out of him. She reappeared and produced a dagger-shaped force field. She held it to his neck.

"I've already defused your little bomb, bud. Leave this woman alone, or I'll cut you to ribbons!" She really wouldn't, but the expression on her face made Herr Cannon believe she was serious. He scrambled to his feet, forcing Python to the ground.

"This isn't over!" he said fleeing the scene. "I will control the world, eventually!"

"Yeah, well, good luck with that! You'll need it!"

Mirage quickly got back on her feet. "Violet, you saved my life, and my livelihood. And who is this young person who reminds me of my old boss?"

"Oh, Mirage, this is Blind Tracy, our new member."

"How do you do, ma'am?" said Blind Tracy as she offered her right hand.

"Over here, Tracy!"

"Oh, sorry about that!"

"Well," Mirage said, "as long as you're here, I would like to show you something new I've been working on, and…"

"We'd love to see it, Carmen," interrupted Python, "but we can't right now. We have to go, or we're going to be late!"

"Late for what?" asked Blind Tracy.

"Church, of course! It's Sunday, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!"

And with that, the two able-bodied members of the Force drove back home.

(A/N: Whew! I thought I would never get this chapter finished. You see, my dad was serving in the Navy when I started writing this and he returned just after I finished chapter 20. I thought it would be kind of weird writing with my dad in the same room. Now, I can keep writing until I finish. Okay, Chapter 22 is under construction. Happy belated Independence Day!)


	22. Automobiles, Magic Proof Spray, and Kim

Dateline: Sunday, April 26, 1981, 12:45 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

As soon as the three members of Alpha Force got home from church, Violet remembered something. "Hey, guys," she said, "we need to swing back by Mirage's place, she said there was something she needed to show us."

"Ugh!" groaned Ashley, who had just succeeded in getting both Dash and his wheelchair out of the car. She proceeded to undo all the work she had just done. And when Dash was finally back in the car…

"Well, we're not going right away, silly!" said Violet. "We have to eat lunch first."

Ashley slapped herself in the face and shook her head. "You know what? Why don't you get him out of the car?"

"Because he weighs a ton and a half, and I can't afford to throw out my back. You carry him in!"

"Forget it! I'm not taking him out after I spent so much time getting him in!"

"Hey!" interjected Dash. "Here's a crazy idea: why don't **_I_** carry me in?"

Violet cast him a suspicious look. "Uh, your leg's still broken, remember?"

"I still have one good leg, and one good leg is plenty!" He climbed out of the automobile and stood on his good leg. Then he started to hop, fast, about as fast as a normal man could run.

"Hmm, guess we won't be needing that wheelchair anymore," noted Ashley.

"That's my brother, never gives up, never says die," Violet beamed.

Later, back up in apartment 31A, Violet was busy making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch. "Remind me that we need to go to the supermarket this week, okay guys?" Suddenly, the phone rang. "Parr residence, Violet speaking…Yeah, he's here, one minute." She placed the phone on the counter. "DASH! TELEPHONE!"

Dash hobbled into the kitchen. "Could you say that a little louder, please Violet? I don't think they heard you in SWITZERLAND!" He picked up the phone. "Dash here."

"Hello, my big, strong honey bear!"

Dash nearly blushed from embarrassment, until he remembered that Violet couldn't hear Kim on the other end. "It's nice to hear from you, pumpkin."

"How's your leg feeling?"

"Much better, actually, I just found out I don't need the wheelchair anymore."

"Oh, Dash, that's great news! Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me tonight. My treat!"

"You can count on me, Kim!"

"Okay, I'll pick you up at six."

"Six, got it. I love you, Kimmy. Bye-bye."  
Violet stared at her brother, having heard enough of the conversation to know what was going on. "Dash, you know you can't keep up this charade forever!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, if you two are going to get serious, you're going to have to tell her you're a super."

"I plan to do so, Vi!"

"When?"

"Someday."

"Dash, you can't enter a marriage while keeping a secret from your partner. If you do marry Kim, you're going to spend every waking moment together, and if she spends that much time around you, she's going to find out for herself. And then, who knows if she'll want to stay with you or not, you know what I mean?"

"I know, I know!"

"So, when are you going to tell her?"

"Not today, and not necessarily tomorrow, but definitely someday."

_She is going to dump him like yesterday's trash, _Violet thought.

After lunch, the super team climbed back into Violet's 1980 Toyota Camry and drove to Mirage's house to see this new super gadget that would change the way Alpha Force would battle evil forever.

"So, where's this new super gadget that's going to change the way we fight evil forever?" asked Dash.

"Well," Mirage began, "I've heard from Edna that one of the villains you guys frequently battle is a wizard."

"Actually, he calls himself a 'Wichard', but keep talking."

"Although magic is a relatively new weapon against the forces of good, I happen to have a friend who has dabbled in it for some time. She has provided me with this!" Mirage produced an aerosol can and held it aloft like a model for an infomercial. "Behold, the magic-proof spray shield!"

Clearly, Alpha Force was not impressed.

"That's it?" inquired Ashley. "Magic-proofing? What good is that going to do us?"

"ASHLEY!" exclaimed a stunned Violet. "Where are your manners?"

"I'm sorry, but I just don't see the use of this…whatever it is."

"I do," said Dash. "We have no idea what this guy is capable of. What if he has the power to usurp our powers with the point of his finger? I'm not willing to take that chance."

Ashley was impressed with Dash's argument. "Well, now that you put it that way, Dash," she said, "I don't see how we could do without it!"

"Bueno, I have enough magic-proofer to last you guys for about a month, so when you run out, just call me, and I can get more from my friend."

"Okay, we'll do that," said Violet. "Hey, do you mind helping me to the car with this stuff, Mirage?"

"Happy to oblige," she responded. She lifted her end of the box easily, but when they got outside and Mirage saw Violet's car, she nearly fainted.

"There's a band of superheroes driving around in THAT hunk of junk?"

"Yeah," Dash said in an inquisitive tone, "why? What's wrong with it?"

"Only EVERYTHING!" Carmen bellowed. "There's no bullet-proof armor, no rocket engine, not even a super logo! No, no, no, you guys can't be seen in this vehicle! I won't allow it!"

"What?" blurted a surprised Violet. "But, Carmen, it's the only car we have, and we can't afford a new one!"

"So, we shall make a new car out of the old one," said Mirage very matter-of-factly. "Do not worry, when I finish with this thing, it will make even Batman jealous!"

"But, then how are we supposed to get around until you do finish?"

"You can borrow my car, naturally," she said as she tossed Violet the keys to her rattletrap sedan. "Just don't shove any villains against the hood of the car, I just had it detailed, okay?"

"Okay, I guess," said a very confused Violet. Alpha Force climbed into their loaner car and drove back home.

"Are you sure Mirage knows what she's doing?" asked Ashley.

"Don't worry," said Dash, "Mirage's father owned a body shop before he died. Her brother runs it now. I'm pretty sure that Mirage will return our car to us in one piece."

"Oh, damn!" screamed Violet.

"What is it?"

"I left the magic-proofer at her place!"

"I guess we have to go back and get it, then?"

(A/N: Was that corny enough for y'all? Oh, I'm probably going to spoil it just by saying so, but I have another big secret bombshell in the works. I know I've dropped some hints already, so tell me your guesses, okay? Okay, I'll see you again with Chapter 23 sometime in the near future. See ya!)


	23. Enter Heartthrob, stage left

Dateline: Sunday, April 26, 1981, 2:45 PM, Pacific Standard Time.

"Dash! What did you do with my cane?"

"Nothing!" he said in a tone of voice that said, "I'm not going to tell you!"

"If you don't tell me, I'm going to twist your arm!"  
"You'll have to find me first!" he said, hobbling off like a jet.

Ashley chuckled. "Oh, I will!"

And she did, easily. All she had to do was look for thoughts of Kimberly Lavender. When she found Dash, she grabbed his arm with her telekinesis and twisted it behind his back.

"OW!" he screamed.

"Where's my cane?" Ashley asked.

"Why can't you just read my mind?"

"I can, but this is much more fun!"

Violet, who had overheard everything, stepped in to intervene. "Ashley! Let go of my brother!" She did. "Dash, get her cane and bring it here!" He did. "Now give it back to her and say you're sorry." He did. And then Violet changed her tone to a soft one.

"Dash, I am very disappointed in you! You should know better than to play practical jokes on the blind! You're a superhero, for crying out loud! And as for you, Ashley, you know it's wrong to use your powers for bulling! Now, I don't want to hear any more fighting, or I'm taking our next assignment alone, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ashley and Dash said in unison.

Yep, just a typical Sunday afternoon at Alpha Force Headquarters. And it was this Sunday afternoon that this rag-tag team of immature supers would grow just a little more.

And it began with a knock on the apartment door.

"I'll get it!" hollered Dash, and he hopped on his good leg to the door. When he got there, he lost his balance and crashed right into the door. "Oof!" Fortunately, he tripped the doorknob and the door swung into the apartment slowly.

Standing outside was a tall, Hispanic male, wearing what looked like a homemade super suit, with a valentine shaped logo on the front, and a long, flowing cape in the back.

"Is this the headquarters of Alpha Force?" asked the stranger.

Violet was in her bedroom and heard the commotion that Dash was making. She emerged from her chamber and saw the man in the doorway. When she did, her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. If it did, it would spill blood everywhere, and they would all have to scrub like there was no tomorrow, not to mention Alpha Force would lose her leader…uh, where was I? Oh, yeah, the Latino super. He was handsome.

"Yes, this is the Alpha Force headquarters, come in, make yourself at home, stay a while, like forever or something!" Or that's what Violet might have said, had she not been interrupted by Dash tackling her.

"Um, who's asking?" Dash asked from the floor.

"I am José Hernandez, but I am also called Heartthrob."

_I'll bet you are,_ Violet thought to herself.

Dash got back on his good foot, and said, "Of course, you're the guy that Superdoc told us about. Well, you should know we don't let just anyone join Alpha Force."

"I understand, security measures. So what do I have to do?"

"Oh, nothing really," Dash said with a smirk. "You just have to climb to the top of this very apartment building and throw yourself to the ground. Then, if you survive, you have to…"

Violet was shocked and amazed at the horrific things that Dash was saying. Quickly, she intercepted him and taped his mouth shut, or something of that nature. "Please ignore my brother, he's, uh, not himself. He forgot to take his medication!" She said the last part of that through clenched teeth and glared at Dash.

"Hey, what's all the commotion?" asked Ashley as she emerged from Dash's bedroom.

"Oh, nothing, José just arrived, that's all."

"José? Oh, yeah, that Heartthrob guy, right?"

"Sí, that is me, and who are you?"

Ashley introduced herself and the rest of Alpha Force.

"And now comes the examination, to see if you are worthy to join the team."

"Examination?"

"Have you done any previous hero work?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever been arrested?"

"No."

"Have you ever been a super villain?"

"No."

"Is José Hernandez your real name?"

"Yes."

"How did you get your powers?"

"I was born with them, weren't you?"

"We'll ask the questions, okay?"

"Okay."

"Last question. Why do you want to join Alpha Force?"

"The NSA recommended that I join a super team to help me overcome my largest character flaw."

"And that would be…?"

"I am so overly confident, that I come across as a jackass."

_I'll bet you do,_ Dash thought.

"Dash! That wasn't a very nice thing to think!"

"Ashley! Stay out of my private thoughts! I don't go reading your diary!"

"I don't have a diary, genius!"  
"Will you two knock it off!" Violet screamed, "we have a guest who might become our new roommate! José, I am so sorry for the way my brother and my, um, Ashley have been behaving."

"That's okay, I'm used to it. My little sisters fight all the time."

"All right," said Violet. "Well, as leader of Alpha Force, I'm happy to say, welcome to the team!"

Dash and Ashley applauded politely.

"Thank you, Violet, and who knows? Maybe sometime in the future, you and I can be more than just teammates, if you know what I mean." José smirked and arched his eyebrows.

"Is he…?" asked Ashley.

"Yes, I do believe he is trying to put the moves on my sister," Dash admitted disappointedly.

"Oh, Dash," Violet said, "what wrong with your big sister having a little romance?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong with it…" but he was interrupted by the Alpha Phone, "as soon as I get that, okay?" And he hobbled over to answer it.

"Alpha Force, we have a situation down at the park. The Wicked Wichard is causing a scene, and he's calling you guys out."

"We'll be right there." He hung up and briefed the troops.

"Dash, you have to stay here; with that leg still in a cast, you'd do more harm than good."

"Fine, I wasn't going to come anyway, I've made other plans."

"All right, Alpha Force, it's showtime!"

(A/N: Just so you guys know it may be awhile before I can update again. I don't really have anything prepared for the upcoming battle sequence. Don't forget to review so I can see how I'm doing! Until then, I'll see you in the funny papers! meaningless pharse.)


	24. Showdown in the Park

Dateline: Sunday, April 26, 1981, 3:30 PM, Pacific Standard Time.

The three able-bodied members of Alpha Force (Dash was still incapacitated) descended the steps to where the car was parked.

"Is that supposed to be our automobile?" asked Heartthrob.

"Actually, our car was shanghaied because our technical advisor thought that a 1980 Toyota Camry was to low class for a team of supers," Python explained as they all climbed in.

"And yet, she lets you drive around in this piece of s---?"

"I know, makes no damn sense, right?"

"Speaking of Mirage," Blind Tracy chimed in, "we're going to need another Alpha Force Radio Watch for Mr. Smooth-Talker here."

"Ashley, be nice!"

"Another Alpha Force what-what?"

"Radio Watch," Python explained. "We use it to keep contact with each other, see?" She showed hers to Heartthrob.

"That's pretty spiffy," he said. Python started up the car. "Now, where is this, uh, Wicked Wichard, was it?"

"He's in the park making a nuisance of himself. He wants us to come and fight him."

"I'll bet I could take him out without even getting my heart up to 100 bpm!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you can, José, but just in case you can't, you need to spray this on yourself," said Blind Tracy as she tossed him a can of aerosol.

"What good is spray paint going to do me?" asked Heartthrob.

"Spray paint? It should be that anti-magic stuff."

"It is that anti-magic stuff," said Python, "Mirage just put it in spray paint cans."

The Alpha Forcers sprayed themselves with anti-magic and were ready for action. And not a moment to soon either; they had just arrived at the park which, thanks to Loren's actions, looked like a Dr. Seuss book gone horribly wrong.

"Well, well, well," taunted the Wicked Wichard, "look who decided to show up. It's the boa constrictor and the mind reader with the perfect vision, with a goofy doofus new super in a goofy foofy outfit!"

"You should talk," retorted Python. "You look like a fruit cake in that witch's hat and robe!"

"So, where's that little firework?"

"A) He's a Rocket," said Blind Tracy, "and B) his location is none of your blankety-blank business! So are we going to fight, or are we just going to stand here and talk?"

"Whoa, okay, you fiery little redhead, if you want to fight so bad, then TAKE THIS!" He gestured toward Blind Tracy in an allegedly magical way. Sincerity covered the bumbling fool's face like butter covers toast. And yet, nothing happened.

"Uh," he stammered in surprise, "like I was saying, TAKE THIS!" He tried it again, and still, nothing.

"Are you finished?" asked Python 15 minutes into this, um, excuse for an attack.

"I guess I am," the Wichard admitted. "Looks like we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way, hand-to-hand. I don't care, I'll take you all on at the same time!"

"I'll take you first," challenged Heartthrob.

"José, no! If you can't get your heart rate up, he'll mop the street with you!"  
"Do not fear, my reptilian compatriot, I shall be perfectly safe."

Python wasn't so sure. She disappeared and watched, waiting for her moment to attack. Meanwhile, Heartthrob stepped up to Mr. Kriznek with his fists swinging. He delivered a fast jab to the Wichard's face, but Loren ducked, and Heartthrob punched his witch's hat instead.

CLONG!

"YEOWCH!" screamed Heartthrob. His super strength hadn't kicked in yet.

"It's cool, huh?" he responded as he knocked on his hat so the others could hear the metallic sound. "It's an alloy of platinum and titanium! Not only is it invulnerable, but it also keeps certain nosey telepathics out of my personal thoughts!"

"He's right," said Blind Tracy, "I can't get a signal from his brain. But there is something I can do about that!" She concentrated on the metal hat, and with her telekinesis she lifted it off his head.

"Hey, give that back!" he demanded.

"As you wish!" She dropped the incredibly heavy hat on Loren's toe. He screamed in pain. "Bet you didn't know I could do that too!" Blind Tracy taunted.

"Why I oughtta!"

"Leave her alone, _hombre!_ You're fighting with me, remember?"

"Oh, well, then tell her I said this!" Loren delivered an uppercut to Heartthrob's jaw, or so he thought. The valentine shape on Heartthrob's suit had changed from red to green, meaning that his heart rate was high enough for his powers to work. Knowing this, he punched poor Loren in his fist to intercept his punch.

"YEOWCH! OH, SWEET MOTHER, THAT HURTS!"

"What's he complaining about? I didn't punch him that hard!"  
"NOT MY HAND, MY NECK! IT HURTS!"  
It was Python, pressure pointing the Wicked Wichard into submission. She reappeared and made her statement. "You will restore the park to its original condition, now!"

"The hell I am!" he retorted. Python tightened her grip on the man-child. "All right! All right! I'll do it!" With a wave of his quasi-magical hand (albeit still in pain), the park returned to normal. Python got off of his neck, and the Wicked Wichard stood and faced his enemies.

"This is not the end!" he screamed. "Someday, somehow, I will acquire all of your…"

"Loren Margaret Kriznek! Where have you been? You were supposed to pick me up after Bingo this afternoon!"

"Not now, Ma! I'm in the middle of a villainous plot here!"

"Don't you give any excuses, young man! Now you get over here right now!"

"Mother! You're embarrassing me in front of my enemies!"

"No she isn't," Python said, "your fighting style embarrassed yourself."

"Loren Margaret?" said Heartthrob. "Dang, man, how do you go on with a girl's name like that?"

"Oh, will you just shut up?" he protested. "Loren can be a man's name too, you know!"

"But Margaret?" asked Blind Tracy. "What is that?"

All three of them enjoyed a good hearty laugh at Loren's humiliation. Like a good son, Loren climbed into the cab his mother was using. "Sorry about Loren," Harriet Kriznek apologized, "he's really a nice boy."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm a grown man, Ma?"

"Until the one time you start acting like a grown man!"

And on that humiliating note, the Krizneks rode off in the cab.

"Well," said Python, "it looks like our work here is done!"

"Let's go home," said Heartthrob.

"Good idea," said Blind Tracy.

Just then, out of nowhere, someone spoke. "So that's how it happened? His mother showed up and took him home? And here I was thinking you laid him out like a rug and he was never heard from again. Boy, was I fooled!"  
"Who's there?" Python demanded.

"Oh, my, I'm so sorry, how rude of me for scaring you guys like that. Let me introduce myself."

Out of the shrubbery stepped a young man in a tan and green super suit, with the letters F and B made into a decorative logo. He looked almost exactly like Dash, except his hair was black.

"I'm Futureboy," he said. "I'm a super born with the ability to travel through time. I came from the year 2041. Nice to meet you, Aunt Violet."

"Aunt Violet?" Python said stunned. "Are you Dash's future kid?"

"No, I'm Dash's grandson. You're my great-aunt, but aunt is shorter."

"Well," interrupted Heartthrob, "that's very fascinating, and it was very nice to meet you, Futureboy, but we have to go now." He politely shoved the girls toward the car.

"Yeah, I wouldn't believe it either if I were you," Futureboy said. "It was nice to see you in action, Aunt Violet!"

As Alpha Force drove back home, Violet wondered if this Futureboy was the real deal and not some crazed lunatic.

"Don't wonder, Vi," said Ashley. "He is a crazed lunatic, trust me."

(A/N: Oh my gosh! I have been waiting for soooooo long to tell you guys about Futureboy! So, is he a crazed lunatic or is he really Dash's grandson? What do you think? Talk to me! And don't forget to tell me how I'm doing! Whew, I'm swamped, I think I'm going to take a nap before I write Chapter 25. See you guys when I wake up!)


	25. Kim, I'm A Super

Dateline: Sunday, April 26, 1981, 5:45 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Violet, can you come here for a minute?" asked Dash.

"Sure, little bro. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about José."

"Oh boy, I knew this was coming!" Violet was exasperated.

"I'm concerned that this may just be a superficial crush; I just don't think it's a smart idea to jump into a relationship on a whim like this. Kim and I spent 2 whole months getting to know each other before we started dating."

"But it feels right, Dash. And if it feels right, shouldn't you go for it?"

"Not if it feels right for the wrong reason! Are you sure you're not just eager to get back into a relationship because you just broke up with Tony?"

"Dash, I'm not jumping into a stranger's bed because I'm on the rebound! If I was, I'd be with Smitty!"

"Who?"

"This guy at work. Oh, that reminds me, you need to be home by 8:00 tonight, you've still got school tomorrow."

"Yeah, thanks. Anyway, you really should get to know this guy better before you do anything, um, drastic."

Violet just chuckled at her brother. "I may have turned into Mom, but you have definitely turned into Dad!" She turned and walked away.

"I HAVE NOT!" Dash screamed, unaware that he was standing on both legs.

"Hey, Dash," said José, "doesn't it hurt to stand on your broken leg?"

Now he realized what was happening. "I'm healed!" he said exuberantly.

"Wow, I'm surprised," Violet said. "Superdoc wasn't expecting you to be better until Tuesday. Okay, we'll have to talk with him again, and see about getting that cast off."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," said Dash. It was Kimberly Lavender.

"Hey, Dash, are you ready to go?"

"Honey, I was born ready!"

"Don't forget, Dash, you have school tomorrow!" said Violet.

"All right, bye!" And the two lovebirds were off for a night to remember. But they didn't know it at the time.

"I know this place on Pacific Avenue," Kim suggested. "My father's the manager, so I get food for free there!"

"Wow, free food, my favorite!"

They arrived and were seated within minutes. After Dash and Kim enjoyed a shared appetizer, Kim cleared her throat and took Dash's hand in hers.

"Dash, I love you…"

"I love you too, Kimmy."

"I know you do, but if we're ever going to get serious, we need to know each other better. I mean, better than we do already."

"Oh, boy, you want to tell me everything about your checkered past so that there's nothing about you that I might find out in the near future that would cause me to divorce you, right?"

"I don't think I would have used a run-on sentence to say it, but yes."

Dash sighed. "I was hoping I could wait a little bit longer, but if you need to know now, I guess I might as well tell you."

"Tell me what?" asked Kim.

"Kimmy, there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it."

Then there was a long pause, about 15 seconds. Then…

"Kim, I'm a super. There, I said it! Damn, that felt good."

"Oh, my, goodness! You're a superhero?"

Dash was overcome with disappointment. "Yeah, and not just any superhero either. I'm Rocket, from Alpha Force."

"I don't believe you."

"Hmm?"

"I said, I don't believe you. You're just making up an excuse so you won't have to marry me. Typical male fear of commitment."

"No, that's not it at all! Kimmy, you know me better than that! Think about it, haven't you noticed me cutting class a lot of times, usually for no reason?"

"Well, yes I have seen that."

"And do you remember when I asked you why you loved me? What did you say?"

"That you're honest, compassionate, and always looking for ways to help people?"

Dash cast Kim a sideways glance that said, "You should be able to figure this out."

"You are a superhero!"

"Yeah. I understand if you never want to see me again."

"No, Dash. You see, I have something I need to tell you too."

"Okay, I'm listening."

"I'm a super too."

Dash just chuckled at the very notion that his girlfriend of 3 months could be a super.

"Oh, you don't believe me?"

"Well, come on, dear, you didn't believe me when I said I was a super!"

"You want me to prove it to you?"

"If you don't mind."

"Fine!" She picked up her knife and held it aloft, like a cleaver. Then she laid her free arm on the table like a man about to get his head chopped off. "Brace yourself, Dash, this is going to be gruesome."

"NO! KIM! DON'T!" Dash protested. But he was too late. Kim brought the knife down on her arm, hard. Dash cringed, waiting for the scream and for blood to start spurting.

But there was no scream. And no blood either.

Dash looked again. Kim's arm was severed from her body, but it didn't look like a severed arm usually does. It looked kind of like a Jell-O mold. A creepy, flesh-colored, arm-shaped Jell-O mold. Kim brought the severed arm to the point at which it was detached, and within seconds, her arm was whole again. She wiggled her fingers to prove that no harm was done.

"I told you it was going to be gruesome," she said.

"What was that?" Dash asked in surprise.

"Basically, my power is the ability to make my body behave like a liquid at will."

"Uh, huh," said Dash. He rolled that last statement around in his mind for a while until it made sense. "Kim, we need to have a long talk about this. But not right now, we have to get home right now, we have school tomorrow."

"Right," Kim said. The two got in the car and drove back to Dash's apartment. For the entire ride there, neither one of them said anything. Dash mounted the stairs and went directly to his bedroom in silence.

(A/N: Whoa, I'll bet you guys are stunned silent right now. I know I was stunned at myself when I wrote that. Kim's power was the second bombshell I told you guys about, so don't expect to see anymore. In the next chapter, I'll reveal even more about Kim, so you guys have something to look forward too. Hey, don't forget to review so I know how I'm doing! See you all next time!)


	26. Kim, We Need To Talk

Dateline: Monday, April 27, 1981, 6:30 AM, Pacific Standard Time.

"Dash, Ashley, José! Breakfast!" Violet bellowed from the kitchen.

Ashley and José responded to the breakfast call almost instantly. Dash, on the other hand, was still a little shaken from what happened last night. And understandably so, I mean, he watched his girlfriend chop her own arm off, for crying out loud! When he finally did come to the table, every eye was on him. Well, every eye except Ashley's, that is.

"Dash," Violet coaxed, "did something happen last night that you want to talk about?"

"Yes," he responded, "but I don't want to discuss it with you guys."

But this did nothing to stop the gang from finding out. Ashley read Dash's mind to discover what exactly it was that transpired between the two lovers last night, then she blurted it out for the whole state of California to hear, down to the last gory detail. Naturally, Dash was upset with her for invading his private thoughts like this.

"Listen, bro," José said, "if your woman is a super, and you are a super, things should be okay between you two, right?"

"Her power sounds awesome!" Ashley exulted. "She would be a welcome addition to the team!"

"You always said she felt like putty in your hands when you embraced her," Violet observed. "I guess you weren't joking!"

"He, He, He," Dash fake-laughed, "That was so funny I forgot to laugh!" He looked at his watch. "Oh, no! I'm going to be late!"

"You?" said Ashley. "Rocket? Late? Never! I'M the one that's going to be late! Unless, of course, I could begrudge you for a ride?"

Dash giggled. "Sure, why not? It's not going to be as fast as it could be, what with my leg still in a cast and all, but you're welcome to ride."

Violet and José got a kick out of watching Dash carry Ashley on his shoulders right out the door. "So," Violet asked as soon as the younger ones were gone, "what are you planning to do today?"

José cleared his throat. "I was thinking I could swing back by my parent's house to gather up my things, you know, settle into headquarters."

"All right," Violet said, preparing to return to work after a very long weekend. "Don't forget to lock the door when you leave. I just found that sofa a week ago, I don't want anything to happen to it!"

Meanwhile, Dash had just arrived at school with Ashley on his back. Kim was there waiting for her beau, like she always was, and she saw the whole thing. It was clear she was upset.

"So that's how it's going to be? I bear my soul to you, reveal my most personal secrets, and you turn around and pick up some floozy who can't even see straight?"

"Kim, honey, it's not like that, she's just a friend!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," Ashley butted in, "I don't know what you see in this loser!"

"You stay out of this!" Dash exclaimed as he bucked his passenger.

"OW!"

"Kim, can we talk in private somewhere?"

"I suppose, I got nothing better to do, yet."

The two found an empty stairwell inside the building. "Okay, what is it, Dash?"

"I still love you, especially now that I know you're a super."

"So what's the problem?"

"When you chopped your arm off like that in front of God and everybody, I must admit, it scared the bejabbers out of me."

"Oh, perfect, that's just what I needed to hear, 'I love you, but you creep me out.'"

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant to say at all." Dash sighed and gripped his eyes. He was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, come here, you big crybaby!" Kim grabbed the love of her life in a warm embrace. Dash hugged her back and she melted in his arms, literally. It felt kind of weird, but in a nice way.

"Thanks, Kim, I feel better already. So, now that we each know each other's secrets, we can be superheroes together, what do you say?"

"Oh, no! That is completely out of the question." Kim snapped back into solid form. "If my father found out I was doing hero work, he'd have kittens all over again!"

"Wait, I'm not quite sure I follow you, could you back up a bit?"

"Okay, both of my parents are normals, they don't have super powers. When I was born, I didn't exactly come out in one piece, if you get my drift."

"Continue."

"So, the doctor, he says that my 'condition' (that's what my dad calls it) shouldn't have any negative effect on living a normal life."

"He made it sound like you had cancer or something."

"Yeah, and I was raised to think that my powers were a disease. But then, when the Super Relocation Act was lifted, and all these super heroes came out of hiding, I was inspired. Suddenly I realized that I could use my 'condition' to the benefit of mankind."

"Let me guess, you told your dad you wanted to be a superhero and he said no?"

"What he said was…" She imitated her father's deep voice. "No daughter of mine is going to be a flying acrobat waiting for a circus to join! At that point, I gave up on mankind altogether and began focusing on motherhood."

"Your dad really thought of superheroes that way?"

"He still does. That's why I can't be a superhero, and I can't join Alpha Force."

"Kim, you're 18 years old. You're an adult. You can make your own decisions. You don't have to do what your father says anymore!"

"Dash, I'm not 18 yet, and I won't be until April 27th!"

"Uh, Kim, today is April 27th."

"It is?" She waved her finger around like she was thinking hard. "Oh my gosh, it is! I can't believe I forgot my own birthday!"

"Yeah, that's supposed to be MY job!"

They both got a good laugh out of that one.

"What do you say you come over to my place for a proper birthday dinner? I could introduce you to the team."

"That sounds fantastic!" Kim exulted. "Holy smokes! I'm going to be late for class!"

"Need a lift?" offered Dash.

"Okay, but if you make me lose my glasses again, I'll have to hurt you!"

Meanwhile, back at the "Cube Farm"…

"Hey, Vi!"

"Yeah, Smitty?"

"Listen, I need to know if you have connections to Python."

Violet knew about Smitty's unhealthy obsession with her super alter ego. "Why do you need to know?"

"I'd like to buy her lunch."

And that was the Parr family kryptonite: free food. "What time should she be there?"

"Have her come to my place at around noon today. You know my address."

"Sure, no problem."

_Okay, I'll just have lunch with Smitty as Python, I'll let him down easily, he'll stop drooling all over me, and that will be the end of that,_ she thought.

Little did she know just how wrong she was.

(A/N: I've been waiting for this coming sequence since I set out to write this story! You're not going to believe what comes next! Hey, how'd I do with the romantic stuff so far? And is it just me, or is this story turning into a cheesy soap opera? Talk to me! Chapter 27 coming soon to a web browser near you!)


	27. The Smitty Ordeal

Dateline: Monday, April 27, 1981, 11:58 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Oh, good thing I found you, José," Violet said as she passed him by. He was walking back to the apartment with his clothes, and she was driving back to the apartment to get her super suit. "There's something I need to give you."

"Let me guess, it is the radio-watch thingy?"

"Yes sir! Here, catch!" She tossed it to him and he tried it on.

"It fits like a glove," he commented. "So, why are you going back home? You don't get off work until 5:00, right?"

"Listen, there's this guy at work who has an unhealthy obsession with 'Python', and he kind of invited her to lunch."

José cast Violet a sideways glance. "You're not really planning on going as Python, are you?"

"The way I see it, if he hears Python say to him 'Get a life', he just might listen to her."

"I see. It still sounds kind of dangerous, though. I wouldn't recommend it."

"Relax, José. If I get into trouble, I can always reach out and touch somebody," she said while holding up her watch.

"Whatever you say, boss."

"Please don't call me that."

"Sorry."

After Violet got dressed in her suit, she got into her car and drove to Smitty's house on Virginia Avenue. Needless to say, Smitty was more than thrilled to see Python standing in his doorway.

"Are you Zachary Smith?" she asked as if she didn't already know.

"Yes, I-I-I-I-I am, b-b-but c-call me S-S-Smitty, p-please."

"Okay, S-S-Smitty! I understand you have lunch prepared? I got dressed for the occasion, you better be feeding me!"

"Yes, come in, I prepared a stew of frog eggs and mice for you."

Python was confused. "I'm sorry, I must be losing my hearing, I thought you said you made me a frog egg and mouse stew."

"I did."

"Uh, huh. And why would you think I would want to eat that?"

"Well, that is what snakes eat, isn't it? Frog eggs and mice?"

"I wouldn't know, I'm not a snake. Python is just a codename."

"Oh, of course, I'm so sorry. Damn it, I didn't prepare anything else for us to eat!"

"Relax, I happen to be a master of the culinary arts," Python bragged.

"Wow, I didn't know you could cook! And to think, I told all my friends at work that I was your number one fan! I should be ashamed of myself!"

"Don't beat yourself up over one minor detail, hey, where do you keep the olive oil?"

"Olive oil! Of course! You won't eat anything fried unless it's fried in olive oil!"

Python was a little worried. Her own brother didn't know about the olive oil thing! "Uh, yeah, how'd you know that?"

"I told you! I am your number one fan!"

"Well, I appreciate your support. Matter of fact, I appreciate support from everybody."

Smitty was as giddy as a schoolgirl. "Listen, Python, I didn't call you over here just to have lunch. I had, no, have something I want to tell you."

"Fire away."

"Python, you will marry me."

Python merely scoffed at the idea. "Smitty, I'm flattered that you would ask me such a thing, but I'm not ready to get married just yet."

"I didn't ask you anything. I said 'you WILL marry me', as in 'whether you like it or not."

Now Python was absolutely horrified. This was no ordinary obsessive fan; Smitty was a full-blown psychopath! Thinking quickly, she pushed the distress button on her watch. "Oh, would you look at the time! I really have to be somewhere else, okay?"

"No, it's not okay! And it won't be okay until I make you mine, forever!"

While Smitty was monologuing, Python turned invisible. "You can't marry what you can't see!" she bantered. She quickly punched him in the arm. When Smitty reached out to grab what he thought was Python's arm; all he got was a fistful of air. A few more rounds of invisible jabs, and Smitty just lost it. (Like he had it in the first place?)

"You can't hide from me!" he screamed. He grabbed a lighter and held the open flame next to the sprinkler system. Instantly, the whole house looked like the Amazon forest during monsoon season. Smitty knew that Python was morbidly afraid of water, so he scanned the house for a shivering human-shaped partition in the falling water. "There you are!" he growled. Python put her hands up in surrender.

Suddenly, there was a crash by the front door. Smitty went to see what was going on. He discovered that the door had been demolished. And standing in the doorway was the rest of Alpha Force, Rocket, Blind Tracy, and Heartthrob!

"Leave my sister alone, punk!" Rocket threatened.

"Never!" Smitty hollered. He charged right at the assembled, trying to knock them down the way a bowling ball knocks down the pins. However, the sprinklers were still running and had made the floors all slippery. The three cleared a path for the over-accelerating Zachary, and he landed in his front yard. Undeterred, Smitty got back up and charged them again. Heartthrob formed a ball of fire in his hands as was just about to chuck it, when his heart rate lowered from 100 to 99 bps. With his powers zonked out, he had no choice but to take Smitty's tackle full force.

"Oy! Get this hippie off of me!" Heartthrob bellowed. Blind Tracy lifted him up with her telekinesis and held him up while Rocket delivered the finishing punch. Over and over.

"Okay! Okay! You win! Please don't kill me!" Smitty begged.

Just then, Python (who had returned to visibility) came outside and saw what was going on. She waited a few seconds to shake off her terror before saying, "Okay, Rocket, he's had enough. Blind Tracy, put him down. Heartthrob, get off the ground, you look like a fool!" The team did as their leader said.

"That was the single worst experience of my life!" Smitty screamed.

"Yeah, well, if you ever try to make me your bride ever again, just know that I can get these guys to do this to you anytime I want! And next time, they just might decide to get rough!"

"Wait, are you saying that what they just did to me WASN'T rough?" _Damn, I don't want to find out what rough is!_ Smitty ran back into his house, never to bother another female super ever again.

"Thanks, you guys," Python said. "I don't think I could have done it without you."

"What do you say we go home and change?" Heartthrob suggested.

"Okay. Hey, Da…uh…I mean Rocket, what happened to your cast?"

"I'll tell you about that later, sis."

(A/N: You guys should know that I compromised on this chapter big time. The original sequence involved an entire cult that worshipped Violet and, upon her insistence that she wasn't God, tried to kill her just before Alpha Force came to save the day. My instincts told me it would be too much, so I scaled it back a little. The net result is what you see here. Speaking of scaling back, I'm going to be calming things down a bit in the coming chapters, before the dramatic conclusion. Okay, that's enough jibber-jabber. See you all next time!)


	28. Guess who's coming to dinner?

Dateline: Monday, April 27, 1981, 5:47 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Hey, Dash," Violet said while cooking dinner, "you never did tell me what happened to your cast."

"Oh, yeah," Dash responded. "Kim knocked it off for me."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, she, uh, liquefied, I guess, then she sort of poured herself into the space between the cast and my leg, and…"

"…And when she snapped back into solid form, the cast exploded off?" José finished.

"Yes, exactly. Oh, and speaking of Kim, today is her birthday and I sort of invited her over to our place for dinner." Dash grinned his best fake innocent grin.

"What do you mean you 'sort of' invited her?" asked Violet. "Either you did or you didn't. Which is it?"

"All right, I did, I was hoping you wouldn't mind. Do you?"

Now Violet was known among the members of the NSA for her hospitality, but Dash dropped this on her a little too soon for her taste. "When is she coming over?" she asked.

"I don't know, we didn't schedule a specific time."

"Dash!"

"I'm sorry!"

Violet sighed. "I guess we don't have a choice then. I'll have to make enough food for five people tonight."

Just then, there was a knock at the apartment door. "Why don't I get that?" José offered. He opened the door to a girl he did not recognize. She had long, flowing brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses over her piercing blue eyes.

"Hello," she said, "is, uh, Dashell here?"

Dash ran to the door with his trademark speed. "Kim! You made it!"

"Well, of course I did! Not even a car crash could keep me away."

"You ain't just whistling Dixie, Kimberly Lavender!"

"Wait," José protested as Kim stepped inside, "this is the Kimberly Lavender that you have kept on talking about?" He turned to Miss Lavender. "The way Dash talks about you, I was expecting you to look like Bo Derek."

Kim's face turned candy-apple red. "Dash always says I'm much more beautiful than I really am. And you are?"

"I am José Hernandez, codename Heartth-." He stopped himself before he gave away his secret identity. He shut the door so the public wouldn't hear him.

"It's okay," Kim said. "All of you are supers, members of Alpha Force. Dash told me everything."

"Dinner will be ready in just a moment!" Violet called from the kitchen.

"Thanks for letting me have dinner with the team, Python," Kim responded.

Violet looked at her very sternly. "Please don't use my codename when I'm out of costume, okay?"

"Sorry, I, uh, didn't mean anything by it."

"Is that Kimberly Lavender I hear?" Ashley asked in a singsong voice.

"Oh, hi there, Ashley." Kim wasn't exactly sure what to say, she barely knew the girl. "Nice to see you again."

"Wish I could say the same!" she responded, laughing at her own lame joke.

"So, are you part of this super team too?"

"Yes, ma'am! I mix it up with the bad guys as Blind Tracy."

"Blind Tracy?"

"Middle name," said everybody in unison.

"Thank you!" said Kim, and she held the 'TH' sound for a half-second longer than normal.

"DINNER'S READY!" Violet called. Within seven seconds, everyone was at the table ready to eat. "José, will you say grace, please?"

Everyone folded their hands and bowed their heads in silence as José prayed, "Dear Lord, thank you for the food we are about to receive. Thank you for bestowing upon us powers beyond those of mortal men." Violet kicked him under the table. "And women. May you bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies, and us to thy service. Amen."

"Amen," everyone echoed. Then they all began to eat.

"Hey, guys," Kim said, trying to start a conversation, "I thought you should know that I turn 18 today, and I was wondering if you guys have an opening available on the team?"

Ashley dropped her fork. "Why would you want to join our team? So you can spend a little more time with your boyfriend?" She snickered.

"Yes, that's exactly why I want to join. That, and I've always wanted to be a superhero."

Stymied, Ashley just resumed eating. That's when Violet spoke up. "You know, at Alpha Force, we're more than just a super team. In a way, we're more of a family."

"Sounds great," Kim said. "I could use a new family to replace my old one. My father hates supers and my mother is way too clingy. Where do I sign?"

"Not yet. You still need to answer a few questions. Standard stuff, I'd do this to my little brother if he wanted to join."

"You already did, Vi."

"Oh, shut up, Dash. Anyway, have you ever been arrested?"

"No."

"Have you engaged in hero work before?"

"No."

"Have you ever been a super villain?"

"No."  
"Do you have a codename yet?"

"No."

"Well, you need to get one if you're going to be a superhero." Then Violet turned to the rest of the team. "C'mon, people, I need to hear some names!"

"How about Amoeboid?" offered José.

"Maybe Meltergirl?" said Ashley.

"Fluid Frankie?" added Dash.

Kim laughed at every suggestion. "How about Liquegirl?" she said. "My mother used to call me that when I was four or something."

"Catchy," said José.

"It's poetic in it's own right!" said Dash.

"It's better that Le Femme Aqueous," said Ashley.

"Well, team, I have some bad news," Violet said in a somber tone.

"Please don't tell me you've decided not to let Kim join, Vi," Dash begged. "PLEASE!"  
"The bad news is…" Violet continued, "now that we're going to have Liquegirl living with us," Dash was jumping for joy until Violet told him to settle down, "I'm afraid that Alpha Force is going to have to relocate its headquarters to a more suitable facility."

"Huh?" said Ashley.

"We're gonna move!" Dash explained.

"Aye, me!" José said. "And I just got settled in here, too!"

"Okay, Kim, you don't mind bunking with Dash tonight, do you?"

Kim looked over at her beau. "Uh, no I guess not."

"Great, you and Dash sleep in his room, Ashley can sleep on the couch, you like that, right?"

"Sure do, boss."

"José, you can sleep in my bed tonight. I'll sleep on the floor in the living room. Tomorrow, after work, I'm going to look into buying us a house. Good night, Alpha Force!"

"Good night, Vi," they all said.

(A/N: Well, you didn't expect me to leave the supers in that two-bedroom apartment forever, did you? No, especially since their arch-nemesis is their landlord! Of course, since Herr Cannon's target is suburban developments, there is the chance that he might come pounding on their door with a giant ball of lead, eh? Either way, the team is not safe until he is stopped. Hey, don't forget to hit the review button so I can see how well or poorly I'm writing! Chapter 29 is coming! BTW I deleted my baseball story, hope you all aren't too disappointed.)


	29. House Hunting

Dateline: Tuesday, April 28, 1981, 9:05 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Morning, Smitty," Violet said as she strolled the makeshift hallways of the "Cube Farm". "How'd your lunch date with Python go yesterday?"

Smitty ran a hand through his afro. "Uh, I'd rather not talk about it."

"That bad, huh?"

"Let's just say I am done obsessing over super heroes."

_Hallelujah! _Violet thought.

"So, what have you been up to, Miss Parr?"

Violet tried to remember what her mother taught her about opening up to people without revealing her secret identity. "Let's just say I've recently acquired three new roommates and I need a raise so I can put a down payment on a house."

Smitty shook his head. "You're going to have a tough time explaining that to Mr. Black."

"I know. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!"  
Violet took a deep breath and entered Mr. Black's office. "Um, Mr. Black?"

"Ah, Violet Parr, Director of Personnel, just the woman I wanted to see! Come in, sit, sit!" Mr. Black was a little more chipper than usual, which concerned Violet.

"Uh, Mr. Black," Violet began a little nervously, "listen, my brother and I have recently…"

"Violet, how long have you been my Director of Personnel?"

"Um, it will be a year come May, I think."

"Do you realize how much change has occurred in my life since I hired you?"

"No, sir, I don't recall us exchanging two words since I started here."

"Well, I've had three wives, 17 mistresses, a baker's dozen bastard sons, four surgeries…" Mr. Black just kept going on and on. With each new statistic, Violet was more and more surprised that her boss had done all of that in 11 months. When he finally finished, he concluded with, "…but I've only needed one Director of Personnel."

"Thank you, sir, I'm flattered."

"So, I just want to show you my appreciation, but I don't know how. Is it appropriate to give an employee flowers?"

Violet saw her window of opportunity open wide. "Well, sir, most employers would thank their most loyal workers by giving them a raise in pay."  
"That sounds like a fantastic idea! How much am I paying you now?"

"18 dollars an hour, sir."

"Great! How about I double it?"

"Thank you very much, sir!"

"You're very welcome. Now, what was it you came in here to tell me?"

"Oh, nothing. It would be a waste of time now. I'll just get back to work now." And she did.

"Hey Smitty! You're not going to believe this, but Mr. Black just doubled my pay!"

"No way! How did you ever convince him?"

"I didn't! He was in an unusually good mood today."

"Huh, that's weird. Maybe somebody drugged his coffee or something."

"Either way, me and mine can finally afford to move out of our apartment!"

As Violet left to make an appointment with a realtor for that afternoon, another employee strolled by Smitty's cube.

"Hey Jennings, did you Mr. Black is in a strangely upbeat mood today?"

"He had better be, I didn't drug his coffee for nothing!"

Then for the next eight hours, nothing happened. It was really boring, so I'm not going to bore you with the boring details.

Anyway, after work, Violet drove to the realtor's office.

"Hello," she said, "yeah, I'm looking for something that comes fully furnished; I'm on a tight budget."

The realtor smiled. "Let me guess, you've finally decided to move out of your apartment and buy a house because you've just gotten a raise at work, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Elementary, my dear Watson. Your clothes look like they haven't been washed in 19 days, and yet you come into my office looking for a home."

"Wow, I'm impressed, except that these clothes haven't been washed in only 15 days."

"I made a broad estimation, so what? Never mind such trivia, I think I have something in your price range." He escorted Violet to his car, and the twain drove off to a suburban development on New York Avenue.

"Now, here we have a nice ranch-style house, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, fully furnished like you requested, and only 55,000 dollars."

"Not a bad price, but do you have anything with two stories?"

"Well, if you'll come with me, you'll see this two-story, 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house for around 78,000 dollars, but it's not fully furnished."

"Uh-huh. Anything else?"

"Well, there is this other house, virtually identical to the previous one, except this one comes with the furniture. However, it is not cheap: 119,000 dollars."

"Hmm. Can I see the inside of that first house?"

"Of course!" The realtor dug out his key to the house and he escorted Violet inside. The interior of the house was painted a soft green, with white crown molding. The living room was about as large as the apartment, and it reminded her of her childhood. The sofa was a tasteful shade of blue; it matched the walls well. The master bedroom looked like it was large enough to hold a party. The other bedrooms were suitable; they had walls and a ceiling, which was more than she could ask for.

But what really convinced Violet that this was the right house was the kitchen. Everything was in just the right place for her to perform her culinary magic.

"Is everything to your liking, Miss Parr?" asked the realtor.

"It's perfect," she said. "I'll take it."

"Great! I'll just get the car, and we can drive back to the office, and make this a done deal, okay?" The realtor walked toward the front door, then he realized that Violet wasn't with him.

"I'll be right there," she said. "Just let me bask in the glow of my new house."

"O-Kay!" And he disappeared.

Right away, Violet started to delegate whom would sleep where. "Okay, Dash and Kim can have this room, Ashley can sleep here…and José will bunk with me in the master bedroom. And, when we're married and have kids, those bedrooms will be where they sleep; by then, Dash, Kim, and Ashley will have found new homes, and…"

Violet's little housewarming party was interrupted by the scream of the realtor. She ran outside to see what was going on. What she saw simply made her hang her head in frustration.

It was Herr Cannon, on the rampage once again. Only this time, he was striking a little closer to home.

(A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, people. School's starting up again soon, so I won't be able to update as often as I would like. I do have a master plan for this story. It's probably going to be forty chapters long when it is finished. Hey, don't forget to tell me how I'm doing! Chapter 30 is under construction! See you!)


	30. Too Close to Home

Dateline: Tuesday, April 28, 1981, 5:52 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Violet knew that if she changed into Python in her new house, the Holmesianly observant realtor would notice. Then again, did she really have a choice? Violet darted inside and changed clothes. Then she radioed the team with the details.

"I'll stall him as long as I can," Python said, "but I don't know how long that will be, so get here on the double!

"Oh, one more thing, leave Kim at home. She doesn't have a costume yet and we can't risk that kind of exposure."

Rocket, Blind Tracy, and Heartthrob all concurred.

With the troops briefed, Python burst out of the house dramatically and tore up pavement to face Herr Cannon. "So, Mr. Boom-Boom," she taunted, "we meet again!"

"It never fails!" Herr Cannon observed. "Every time I try to destroy another suburban district, you and your super team are there to frustrate me. So, what exactly were you doing here, Python? You weren't planning on moving out of your apartment, were you…Violet Parr?"

"Of course not!" Python retorted. "I would never dream of moving out of YOUR BUILDING, Jurgen Von Braun!"

"Bravo! You finally figured out who I am! Maybe you've also figured out my master plan? Well, here's what I plan on doing…" And off he went, monologuing like some evil genius Shakespearean actor. Python disappeared and quietly sneaked up on him. She wrapped her hands around his neck and tried to choke him into submission. However, Herr Cannon managed to grab hold of her invisible arm. He flung Python to the ground in front of his weapon. The impact broke Python's concentration, causing her to reappear. (She didn't break any bones, praise God!)

"So, you don't like to listen to me speak, eh?" Herr Cannon teased. "Then perhaps I should let my cannonballs do the talking!" With that, he dumped a bunch of tiny little cannonballs into a Ziploc bag and loaded his cannon with it. "Let's see if the little snake can withstand a whiff of my…" He noticed Python was nowhere to be seen. "So, we're going to play hide-and-go-seek now, huh? It's my favorite game!" He started to wheel his cannon over to where he thought Python would be.

Meanwhile, Python had returned to visibility and was cowering behind a house, trying to think of a plan of attack. Seeing him load the cannon with a bunch of little shells gave her an idea. Quickly, she formed as many like-sized force fields as she could, creating a whole bunch more than she expected. She grabbed the mini-fields in her hand and waited. When she saw Herr Cannon from the rear, she threw them all right at him.

"TAKE THIS!" she screamed at her tiny projectiles left their mark, knocking Herr Cannon off his feet. The mini-fields were gone just as soon as they hit their mark.

"I'm impressed!" Herr Cannon said. "Who would have thought you knew how to use grapeshot?"

"I prefer to call them 'Grapes'," she responded.

"Whatever. Let's see if you can take it just as well as you dish it out!" He wheeled his cannon into position, took aim, and before Python could get out of range, he fired the grapeshot!

Just then, there was a blur of blue fabric that swept by Python. When it passed by, it took the young super with it. The grapeshot left its mark on the lawn.

"What the…?" It was Rocket! "Thanks, bro. What took you so long?"

"The was a bank robbery on Baltic, and we had to do something!"

"Well, that's fantastic, you got here in the nick of time."

Rocket rushed up to face Herr Cannon. "Hey, stupid! Nobody picks on my sister but me, got that?"

Herr Cannon chortled. "I don't need my heavy artillery to teach you a lesson. I have my fists!" He came down to Rocket's level.

"Bring it on!" And before Herr Cannon could throw one punch, Rocket had delivered forty. Herr Cannon was down, but not out.

"All right," Python said. "Heartthrob, you take care of his weapon. Blind Tracy, you hold him until the police get here."

Heartthrob grabbed the cannon and made a brave attempt to lift it, but it was too heavy, even for him. So, he duplicated himself fourfold and tried again. He made sure he threw it to the west, so it would land in the Pacific, as opposed to some Nevadan's backyard.

Meanwhile, Blind Tracy tried to lift Herr Cannon off the ground, but she couldn't find him. "All right, you! It's payback time for what you did to my parents!" She scanned the area for thoughts of global domination, for she was sure that that would be on his mind. When she did find someone who was thinking of global domination, it was not who she expected.

"WOW!" she heard a child's voice scream. "You're Blind Tracy, from Alpha Force!"

"Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

"Oh, nobody, just an adoring fan! I know you can't sign autographs, what with you being blind and all, but could you put your handprint on this Alpha Force poster I bought? Pretty Please!"

Blind Tracy was more than happy to oblige. "There you go, kid. And remember, always listen to your parents!"

As soon as the kid was gone, Python and the others stepped up behind her. "Well? Where is he?"

"Where's who?"

"Herr Cannon?"

"Oh, f-f-f-f-fudge buckets! I forgot! I'm sorry!"  
Python sighed heavily. "Perfect. Just perfect!"

Rocket tried to calm his sister down. "Relax, Vi, uh, I mean Python. We'll get him next time."

"I sure hope so. Oh, man, now we have to dress out! Quick, inside!" Python shoved the team into the house she had just bought. They all changed back into street clothes.

"Okay," Violet said as if nothing had happened, "let's see if we can't close this deal today."

"Of course!" the realtor said. "I've always wanted to say that I sold a house to a band of superheroes."

"You noticed, huh?" Melancholy swept over Violet, and she nearly cried.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Call it realtor-client confidentiality."

"Thank you!"

"Hey, Vi," José commented, "You've picked out a fantastic place. When do we move in?"

"How about tomorrow?"

"Sounds great, uh, boss."  
Violet chuckled. "Call me Vi, all my friends do!"

(A/N: I'm sorry if I seem a little distracted. I've already started pre-writing my newest Incredibles project, in which these kids have kids of their own. I'm still working on the title though, the only one I've got so far is "The Incredibles 3-G: the third generation of heroism." What do you think? It's a cheap knock-off, right? Hey, don't forget to hit the review button so I can see how I'm doing. And please, be honest. See y'all next time!)


	31. Moving Day

Dateline: Wednesday, April 29, 1981, 7:02 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Hello, Mr. Black? Yeah, I can't come into work today, my brother and I are moving into our new house today."

"All right, Violet, but I expect you to be at your desk bright and early tomorrow morning, clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir! See you then." Click. "All right, troops, this stuff isn't going to move itself!"

"What stuff?" asked Kim. "From what I heard from Dash, this house came with furniture, so what from here do we need to take with us?"

"Our clothes, for one!" Violet scolded. "Oh, and our record player."

"Record player? Why do you still have that archaic thing?"

"It was our mother's," said Dash. "She gave it to us when she bought a cassette player. Oh, and I think you need to see this, dear."

Dash escorted Kim to his room and pulled out the box where he kept his firearm. Dash was expecting his girlfriend to be shocked at the sight of his gun and scold him the way Violet had. So, he was astonished when Kim responded the way she did.

"Whoa, this is one amazing pistol. How long have you had this?"

"About a week now."

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"Uh, I didn't think it would be an issue."

"Have you, uh, used it yet?"

"No, I haven't needed to."

"Let's hope that it stays that way." She took the gun from him and returned it to the case. "Okay, so what else needs to go into the house?"

"Let's see, the kitchenware, whatever's left in the fridge…"

"Wait a minute, Vi," José interrupted. "Are you sure we're going to need all that rotten junk in the fridge?"

Violet thought about it for a moment. "Eh, maybe you're right."

Just then, there came a knock at the door. Instead of waiting for the door to be opened, Mr. Von Braun simply barged in like he owned the…wait, never mind. "So, is it true? Are you moving out of my building?"

"No, we just like to pack up all our stuff one or twice a week," Ashley smarted off, "just to see how many boxes it takes."

"Well, I suppose you'll want the 295 dollar security deposit back," Mr. Von Braun continued. "In spite of how badly you've damaged the apartment…"

"Damage, us? No, sir!" Dash protested. "The back burners on the stove were missing when we moved in here! Those cheeseburgers were always on the toilet!"

Violet turned to her brother. "What cheeseburgers, Dash?"

"Huh?"

"I said, what cheeseburgers, Dash?"

"Cheeseburgers? Who said anything about cheeseburgers?" Dash nervously shifted his eyes from left to right.

Violet gripped the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Never mind the money, sir. It's clear that you need it more than we do now."

"Damn straight! After you and your do-gooder band chucked my weapon into oblivion, I'm going to have to do some major purchasing!"

"Huh?" José said. He didn't know what on earth Mr. Von Braun was talking about.

"Oh, that's right!" Ashley said, "I never told our new members who Mr. Von Braun really is! Well, I guess now is a good a time as any." And she told them everything. The shock of the truth made Kim liquefy involuntarily. José just screamed.

"Hey, listen, Jurgen," Ashley said, "we have too many people to live in this dinky place, so we have to move to a more spacious location. So, you see, sir, it's nothing personal, it's just business. No hard feelings?"

"Think nothing of it," he answered. "Frankly, I wished you would have moved out as soon as I found out who you guys really were. Although, it was nice to use your very rent check against you!" He laughed an evil laugh…for about three seconds, then he started to cough and wheeze.

"Hey, relax, sir," Dash consoled. "Save it for the fight, okay?"

Mr. Von Braun took a few deep breaths, then when he felt better; he slunk off back to his apartment.

"Okay, we have everything packed up, let's load up the car and get going!" And they did.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that same day, at 927 New York Avenue…

"Wow, this place is fantastic!" Kim shouted a little louder than she intended to.

"Okay, Kim," Violet said, "I'm sorry we left you out of the action last time, but now that you're a superhero, your identity is your most valuable possession, and you need to protect it."

"Do run-on sentences run in your family or something?"

Violet sighed. "Just what this team needs, a grammar stickler. Anyway, you're going to need a super suit, and I know just where to get you one." Violet picked up the phone and dialed you-know-who's number.

"All right, E, now that we have a full team…"

"Your team is full already?"

"Yep, we have five members, the maximum number allowed by the NSA…"

"But I thought you were planning on having your little brother join?"

"Jack-Jack is too young anyway, and besides, when he is old enough to get licensed, he'll be mature enough to go solo. As I was saying, I think we're ready for those team uniforms you suggested two weeks ago."

"Yes, yes, of course darling. I have been waiting for this. José needs a new suit anyway, one without the noose."

"Oh, no, E, José's suit is fine. The cape is Velcro-ed on, and it will rip right off in a pinch. He showed it to me once."

The phone fell silent on Edna's end. "Hello? E, are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm still here, and I have so much work to do! Oh, about the new member, I'll need her size and her powers."

"Huh? Last time we did this, you insisted on meeting Ashley. What's going…"

"No time for that, darling, I must begin immediately! Come on, size and powers, chop, chop!"

"Uh, she can turn into liquid at will, and…" She eyeballed Kim from the other room, "I think she's a size 8."

"Excellent, thank you, I will call you when they are ready, okay? Okay, bye-bye Python." Click.

As soon as Violet hung up the phone, it rang again. "Huh, that's funny." She picked it up. "Hello?"

"This is Mirage, just checking to make sure the number you gave me yesterday was correct."

"Yeah, it is."

"Oh, and one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Your car is ready for you."

(A/N: I know what you're thinking, and you're right. This wasn't the best chapter, by a long shot. Hey, they're not all gems people; some of it is filler. Ever since I had Mirage hijack their car, I've had the hardest time picking out the right time to return it. I think I may have to take another nap before I keep going. I'll see you when I see you, I guess.)


	32. Behold the Alphamobile!

Dateline: Wednesday, April 29, 1981, 4:51 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Violet was driving Dash and the others to Mirage's house in the rattletrap sedan that she lent to the team. They were all looking forward to picking up their newly modified vehicle and returning the piece of junk they we in to her rightful owner.

"So, Violet," José asked, "did Mirage say anything about what this car would look like?"

"No," came the answer, "she just said, 'Your car is ready.'"

"I hope she soupped up the engine so it can go really fast!" Dash said.

"Why? Need something to race against?" asked Ashley.

"Is there any other reason?"

"Hmm, good point. But I'd really rather prefer a car that could fly! That way, we wouldn't have to worry about traffic."

"Traffic wouldn't be a problem," said Kim, "if this new car could change shape like me. Just think about that for a while."

"Sounds a little weak to me," José said. "What we need is an automobile that is indestructible. It could take out hills, mountains, big rocks, and other cars, yet still ride like a Mercedes-Benz."

"What about you, Vi?" Kim asked. "What would you like this new car to do?"

"It should come as no surprise that I want a car with stealth abilities; maybe one that could turn invisible like myself."

"An invisible car?" asked Dash. "Wouldn't that be dangerous? I mean, there's a car behind you, he can see no cars in front of him, so he floors it, BAM!"

"Hmm. I hadn't thought about that."  
"Well, one thing is certain; with Carmen Peña, this car is going to be fantastic," said Dash.

They arrived at Mirage's house within 10 minutes of this conversation. The Latin technical genius was standing there waiting for them. In her driveway was a large object under a light blue sheet. The object was so large, in fact, that Violet had to park the car on the street, for lack of room.

_That must be the new car,_ thought Violet.

"Hello, Alpha Force!" Carmen greeted the team warmly. "It is nice to finally meet the fourth mem…" Her voice trailed off when she noticed five people getting out of her car. "So, you have five members now? _Caramba,_ you guys multiply like rabbits!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you," Violet humbly apologized. "This is Kimberly Lavender, codename Liquegirl. And I'm sure you can pick out José from the bunch."

"Yes, well, fortunately I have an extra AFRW, for just such an emergency."

"AFRW?" Kim said in confusion.

"Alpha Force Radio Watch," Dash explained, "it's how we keep contact." He filled her in on all the details.

"Okay," Mirage said very let's-get-on-with-the-main-event-like. She gripped the sheet that hid what was obviously the team's new automobile. "Behold the Alphamobile!" She yanked the cover away to reveal the marvel underneath.

Violet was having a hard time believing that the masterpiece of plastic and metal before her used to be her 1980 Toyota Camry. The Alphamobile was a behemoth sport utility vehicle. It towered over Dash by a good 7 inches.

"What does it look like?" Ashley asked, since she couldn't see it for herself. José guided her hand along the edge of the car's body, lifting her up for the top parts. Once she had a basic idea of what the car looked like, Ashley whistled in awe.

"Come on inside, Violet, I'll show you how it works!" Mirage said. Violet followed her into the vehicle, which wasn't easy because it was so high off the ground. The rest of the team shortly followed. The car's interior was huge, and brimming with electronic flimflam, not unlike the home of its builder.

"As you can see, it comes nicely equipped with four-wheel drive, automatic transmission, 425 horsepower V-8 engine, you know, car stuff like that. I also installed a radio that transmits on the same frequency as your watches.

"It also has the things every super-car needs, bullet-proof armor, rocket engines in the back, an auto-driver feature, you know, the basics."

"You say that like there's something extra that you put exclusively into the Alphamobile," Ashley commented.

"How'd you figure that out?" Mirage asked. "No, don't answer that, but you're right. I've been working on a biometrics system that will temporarily alter the genetic makeup of the wearer in such a way that the mutations manifest in…"

"English, please," interrupted Dash.

"I've developed a little gizmo that allows you guys to transfer your powers to other people and things for a little while. I installed it into the car."

"Is that what this thing is?" Kim asked, pointing to a green hand-shaped decal on the center console.

"Yep, it's called the Transfer of Awesome Gifts system, or TAG, for short. You just place your hand here and the car gains all your powers!"  
Violet had a hard time believing that, so she TAGed up on the car to try it out. Nothing happened. "I think you need to debug it, Carmen," she said.

"You have to make the car invisible yourself," Mirage explained.

"How?"

"Just do it, don't think about it."

Violet did as Mirage instructed, and it worked! The body of the car was completely transparent, and it looked like the six of them were levitating in mid-air. Violet was so surprised at the sight, that she removed her hand from the contact. Just as soon as it had disappeared, the Alphamobile returned to visibility.

"I'm scared to ask how much this is all going to cost us," Violet said.

"Well, a fair price for all these modifications would be in the range of three or four thousand dollars, but since you guys are close friends of mine, I'll let you have it for only 1500 bucks."

"Wow, that's a lot of money, Vi," said José.

"Yeah, but, on the bright side, it's tax deductible."

"How do you figure?" asked Kim.

"Usually, job related expenses can be deducted from your income tax return. We're superheroes, and this is a super vehicle, which will assist in our endeavor, ipso facto, this is a job-related expense. This is one of the reasons why I love my job!"

The gang echoed Violet's statement. "Well, the helping people is pretty good too," added Dash.

"Okay," Vi said, "keys, keys, where are the keys?"

"Here they are," Mirage said. "By the way, I'm going to need the keys to my own car back now." Vi fished Carmen's keys out of her pocket and handed them over.

Just then, the car's radio crackled to life. "Calling Alpha Force, calling Alpha Force!" It was the sheriff!

"What's up?" Violet asked.

"We've got a hostage situation on Atlantic Avenue, we need your help right away!"

"We'll be right there!" On that note, Violet started up the Alphamobile. The engine roared like a lion. She backed out of the driveway and waved goodbye to the team's technical genie. She took off down the road, but didn't get far. She slammed on the brakes so suddenly, everyone was thrown.

"Why'd you stop?" asked José.

"I just remembered, we forgot our super suits!"

"That's no reason to stop, boss. We can just pick them up on the way!"

"Oh, you're right."

(A/N: I just want to stop right here and thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing my story. Thanks to you guys, I've got reviews in the triple digits! Hey, if y'all aren't too busy, could you please read and review my other story, The Cluedoville Files? I'd really appreciate it. Chapter 33 is under construction. See ya!)


	33. Hostage Situation

Dateline: Wednesday, April 29, 1981, 7:12 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Kimberly didn't feel comfortable in Violet's solid red top and matching shorts; they were a little tight on her. It was a mediocre excuse for a super suit, she knew, but until Edna was finished with the team uniforms, it would have to do. At least Dash's old Incredibles mask made her feel like a superhero, like Liquegirl.

"Hey, Python," Rocket said from the backseat (Heartthrob was riding shotgun), "did the sheriff say the address of the hostage situation?"

Python tried to remember what the sheriff had said, but nothing came to mind. "Hmm, I don't think he did. I'd better call him back." She pressed a button on the dashboard to call up the radio. "Excuse me, sir, could you give us the specifics of the situation, such as who we're dealing with, the address, and whatnot?"

"Okay, there's a young female being held prisoner by the Wicked Wichard of the West-by-Northwest at 5772 Atlantic Avenue."

"Fifty-seven seventy-two," Python repeated to make sure she had that right. "Thank you. Dash, I need you to TAG up on the car so we can…"

"Way ahead of you, sis," Rocket interrupted. He placed his hand on the green hand-shaped decal on the center console. Instantly, the huge automobile was hauling, doing up to 98 mph. They were at the site of the incident within 10 seconds.

"That's funny," Heartthrob said. "Shouldn't there be some police cars here, what with this being police business and all?"

"Yeah, you're right," said Python, "we are the police?"

"Maybe they're inside, and the cars they came in are unmarked," Rocket suggested.

"I'm not so sure," said Blind Tracy, "maybe this is a trap!"

"Ashley," Python scolded, "the sheriff would never lie to anyone, including us. Now, let's go!"

Alpha Force clambered out of the car and rushed into the house. They were surprised to find the door unlocked. Once they got inside, they found nothing. No young female, no Wicked Wichard, no nothing. However, there was a large steel wall that prevented them from seeing the rest of the house. In that moment, everything became clear.

"Guys," said Liquegirl, "Blind Tracy was right! This is a trap! Run!"

They all tried to get out the front door, but they found it locked behind them. They were trapped. Worse yet, the chamber started to fill with a strange green gas. Python recognized it; it was the same gas that was used in that evil cab what seemed like ages ago. They all breathed it in trying to escape, and they all passed out.

All except for the leader, that is. She held her breath and pretended to pass out, so she could hear what was going on. This was the cleverest idea she had ever had.

The first voice she heard was that of Loren Kriznek. "Good work, Vox, they fell for it hook, line, and sinker."

"I do a pretty good impersonation of your sister, don't I?" said a voice Python couldn't place.

_That must be Vox,_ she thought. _He must be able to copy anyone's voice. So, he called the police as a young woman, asking specifically for Alpha Force, so we would walk right into this trap._ And it almost worked. Almost.

"Yes, of course," Loren said, "now help me carry the bodies to the kitchen."

"Right away, sir."

For a long time after that, nothing happened. Or rather, nothing happened to her. She assumed that Loren and this Vox guy were transporting her teammates to the kitchen. She decided to stay down and keep pretending to be unconscious, so as not to arouse suspicion. Soon, she heard Loren say, "And last but not least, the little snake!"

Python felt someone's hands on her, lifting her up. She was carried for a short distance, then dropped like a rag doll. It was all she could do to keep from screaming in pain. "Quickly, chain her up, so she won't get away when the gas wears off," she heard Loren say. She heard the sound of metal on linoleum, and anticipated the worst. But, just then, another voice spoke up.

"LOREN!" It was Mrs. Kriznek, Loren's mother. "DID YOU REMEMBER TO MAKE YOUR BED THIS MORNING?"

Loren snorted. Clearly, he was upset. "I CAN'T MAKE MY BED RIGHT NOW, MA! I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE!"

"WHAT COULD BE SO DAMNED IMPORTANT THAT YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE A MEESY BED?"

Loren was silent. He couldn't think of a good response. "Come on, Vox. We can chain Python up later."

As soon as she heard them leave the room, Python sprung into action. She ran out of the house and grabbed a can of anti-magic from the car. She thought it was strange that there were only four cans left; she could have sworn there were five the last time she checked. Python shrugged it off, then she raced back inside. She didn't care about playing the fool at that moment. If the Wicked Wichard caught her like this, she might just as soon beat the snot out of him.

She sprayed herself thoroughly, then set to work freeing her friends. She did this with a hacksaw-shaped force field. She cut Rocket free without too much difficulty, magic-proofing him as soon as she finished. Next came Heartthrob, then Blind Tracy. But just when she was about to free Liquegirl, the Wicked Wichard came back and saw what was going on.

"Hey!" he yelled. He gestured at Python, creating a medium sized ball of green light that sailed right at her. Thanks to Mirage's anti-magic, it struck her without incident. "Oh, a wise guy, eh?" Loren ran right at her, wanting to knock her down like a wrecking ball. But, she stuck out her arms and clotheslined him. Once he was on the ground, Python jumped into the air and landed right on top of him. Loren groaned in agony. "Vox, help me!" he managed to say.

Vox rushed up and punched Python square in the jaw. She fell over backward, and she also groaned in pain. She got back up as quickly as she could. Vox attacked again, but Python was ready this time. Python and Vox exchanged blows and counter-blows for a while; neither one really made any progress. Just then, the rest of the team awoke from their induced sleep.

"What's going on?" asked Blind Tracy.

"No, time to explain, just help me beat this guy up!"

"Sure thing, boss!" Everyone got up, even Liquegirl, who escaped the chains by simply flowing out of them. Loren got up too. But when Alpha Force struck a fighting pose together and he saw what he was up against, he screamed like a little girl.

"Sir, where are you going?" Vox asked. As the heroes moved in on him, he started to get a little nervous. He examined them and decided to take out the one he thought wouldn't be able to fight back.

"You're going down!" he hollered as he charged Blind Tracy.

"Tracy, look out!" Rocket shouted.

Blind Tracy was ready. She grabbed Vox's arm telekinetically and held him up like a dried turkey.

"Let's get out of here!" Liquegirl suggested. Blind Tracy dropped Vox very suddenly, and then everyone made his or her way to the front door. They found that it was still locked. Luckily, all this excitement had raised Heartthrob's heart rate to about 150 bpm. He smashed the door into a million little pieces, and the team all scrambled back into the car.

"We are NOT coming here ever again!" Python said as soon as everyone was buckled in. "Dash…"

"I know, I know!" He TAGed up on the car, and they were homeward bound. They didn't get far, though. Soon, there was a police cruiser following them, with lights flashing and everything.

"Honey," said Heartthrob, "I think he wants you to pull over."

Python pulled over and quickly dug out her driver's license and vehicle registration. "Is there a problem, officer?" she asked the policeman.

"Yeah, hi, I noticed you doing around 77 mph back there in a 55-mile zone, and…" The cop's voice trailed off when he noticed to whom he was talking. "Excuse me, but are you really Python?"

Python thought answering him with a smart remark, but decided against it. "Yes, I am."

"All right, you should be aware that not even supers are above the law. If I let you get away with speeding, we'll have another bevy of lawsuits on our hands, and the next thing you know, you guys are back in hiding for another fifteen years. Understand?"

"Yes, sir, I understand."

"Okay, that being said, I'm giving you a warning this time, but if I catch you again, I'll be forced to cite you. Drive safely." The cop returned to his car and drove away.

"Well," Liquegirl said, "I guess that's the last time we let Dash TAG up on the car, huh?"

"Either that, or get a police siren," suggested Heartthrob.

(A/N: Wow, I'm sorry this chapter was so long, but I just had to include that bit were the guys get pulled over. For the next two chapters, I'm going to focus on the budding romance between Violet and José. I don't want to give too much away yet, but let's just say that before I post chapter 37; one of the two major villains will no longer be a threat. Hey, don't forget to review so I can see how I'm doing! See ya later!)


	34. One Fantastic Disaster

Dateline: Thursday, April 30, 1981, 7:00 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Dash, Ashley, Kim, get up!" Violet yelled from the kitchen. "Did you guys forget that you still have school today?"

"We already are up, Violet!" Dash said as he strolled into the dinning room, wanting breakfast.

"Where are the girls?" she asked.

Dash looked at his sister in a way that said, "You should know, you are a girl, after all." When she thought about it, she realized it was true. Sure enough, Kim was in the bathroom, with Ashley impatiently pounding on the door.

"Hey, there are other mirrors in this house, Snow White," Ashley jeered, "and other people have to use the restroom too, you know!"  
"Well, I wouldn't expect someone like you to be patient with me," Kim said through the door. "You're the only one who can't appreciate my beauty!"

"Oh, I get it, it's because I'm blind, huh?" Ashley laughed sarcastically, then muttered a swear word under her breath.

That's when Violet came in and tapped the door politely. "Wrap it up in there, Kim, you're going to be late for school!"

Kim emerged from the lavatory. "Oh, we'll never be late, thanks to my Dashie-Washie-Poo," she cooed.

"Aw, Kim!" Dash whined. He had heard the whole thing. "Do have to say that in front of my sister?"

About that time, José stepped out of the master bedroom. He looked like he had spent the entire night awake.

"Hey there, handsome," Violet said as she stepped back into the kitchen. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Not well," he said, "I think I had too much to eat last night." José groaned and grabbed his stomach.

"Take some Pepto-Bismol, you'll be fine," Vi suggested. "You don't want to be nauseous for my super bacon, ham, and sausage omelets!"

"Mmm-mm!" Kim exclaimed as she moseyed over to the dinning table. "Dash told me about these! They're supposed to be absolutely euphoric!"

Ashley straggled behind. "Kimberly, you're building it up too much, there's no way any omelet can taste that good!"

She was wrong. They were so good, in fact, that Violet had to put a force field around the frying pan to keep them from getting seconds. "No, you guys, you need to get a move on! Now, move out!" And they did.

"It's about time, I thought they would never leave!" said José. He walked over to the apple of his eye and tried to plant one on her, but she pulled away.

"Not right now, dear," she said, "I have to go to work, remember?"

"Oh," he sighed, disappointed. "Okay, how about later, say around lunchtime?"

Violet turned back to face him. "Are you asking me out?" she wondered.

"Well, I, uh, I guess if you, I mean there's no reason why, you know, not that I'm…" José was rambling. He really liked Violet a lot, and he didn't want to say something that would screw everything up. Unfortunately, everything he thought of to say sounded like it would be detrimental to their future. He was so relived when Violet cut him off by placing a finger on his lips.

"Pick me up from the store at noon, and we'll have lunch at Olive Garden, okay?"

"Uh, okay," he said. He was already looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her as he watched her walk out that door.

_Okay, _José thought to himself, _I'm going to watch some TV, then at noon I'll hop in the car and…_ He stopped suddenly when he realized that the car would be at the Black and White department store. _Oh, great, our first real date, and I can't even make it there to pick her up! Or can I?_ He suddenly remembered that one of his powers was super-speed, like Dash!

"False alarm!" he said to nobody. "Everything is going to be okay!"

Or so he thought…

At noon, José got all dressed up, did a few jumping jacks to get his heart rate up to 100, then tore up asphalt all the way up to the fourth floor. It didn't occur to him that doing all this strenuous activity right before the big moment might not be such a bright idea until it was too late. When he found Violet's cube, he reeked of the combined odors of too much sweat at too much cologne.

"Um, honey," Violet said, "you might want to take a shower before we go." Violet was stifling a laugh. José examined himself, and was stunned with his fragrance.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" he apologized.

"Don't be," Violet reassured him, "I've seen just this sort of thing in the movies, it's really no big deal."

José hung his head. "I don't deserve someone as understanding as you, Vi."

"Oh, stop it! You're embarrassing me!" she responded, smiling.

"Well, now that we are both sufficiently humiliated, let's be going now."

When they got to the restaurant, José insisted on opening Violet's door for her. She found this gesture to be quite gentlemanly. Unfortunately, her suit jacket got caught in the car door when José slammed it shut. She didn't realize this until she got inside the building, when she noticed a very long thread on her jacket that lead all the way back to the red SUV.

"Remind me to call Edna about this when we get home, okay?" she joked.

"Oh, that won't be necessary," José said, "I think I can patch that up very easily."

"You can sew?" Violet wasn't expecting to learn something like that today.

"Yeah, I'd rather not talk about." He was blushing hard.

Soon, they were seated and had ordered a large plate of linguini to share. While they waited, they just sat there in silence.

"Well, I think we're off to a great start," Violet said, trying to get the ball rolling.

"A great start?" José questioned. "First I show up smelling like rotten beans, then you get your coat torn up, then I accidentally reveal to the whole planet that I know how to sew!"

"Okay, calm down, José. I'm pretty sure there are worse things that could have happened to us on this date." As soon as she said that, the waiter arrived with their food. Unfortunately, he tripped on God knows what, flinging the pasta every which way, but mostly onto Violet and José. "Like that, for instance," she said.

"Okay, it's official, this is the worst lunch date in history!"

"Well, look on the bright side. At least it can't get any worse!"

But as you all know, whenever anyone in a comedy says, "It can't get any worse," it always does. And this time was no exception. As soon as those dreaded words escaped Violet's lips, José noticed a group of people heading toward their table.

"Oh, no," he said. "Vi, baby, don't look now, but there are people coming this way, people I know."

Violet's curiosity was ignited. Who were these people, how did José know them, and what exactly were they doing here? When the group arrived, she saw that there was a man and a woman, about in their fifties, Vi guessed, and two little girls who looked like twins. The elder woman grabbed José in a tight embrace and said something to him in Spanish.

"_Hola, mama,_" José said quite dispassionately.

(A/N: So, how was that? Does it need work? I've been meaning to tell y'all about the family Hernandez, but I didn't know quite how to do it. Once again, I apologize that my story is so freaking long! Quick question: is this still a novella, or is it so long that is now a full-fledged novel? Hit the review button and tell me how I'm doing!)


	35. Los Excelletes

(A/N: Okay, before I even start this chapter, there's something you need to know. I can't speak Spanish to save my own life. I learned a few words in the first grade, but I have no clue about the syntax. Therefore, anytime you see any words in **boldface;** you'll just have to imagine those words being said in Spanish. Okay, sorry to slow you down, on with the story!)

Dateline: Thursday, April 30, 1981, 12:52 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

**"Oh, my son!" **exclaimed Mrs. Hernandez. **"What are you doing here, and who is this girl you are with?"**

**"Hello, Mom,"** José said dispassionately. He was so embarrassed that his mother had seen him like this, with a horrible body odor, pasta strewn all over his jet-black hair, and tomato sauce in his goatee. And to top it all off, his irritating little sisters had seen it too.

**"I was just having lunch with the leader of my new team,"** José explained. He looked back at Violet. From the quizzical expression on her face, he could tell that she didn't understand a word they just said.

"José," Violet asked, "who are these people?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me! Violet, this is my mother Juanita, my father Eduardo, and my little sisters, Rosa and Marisol. **Family, this is **Violet Parr, **leader of **Alpha Force."

**"It's so nice to finally meet you,"** said Juanita as she shook Violet's hand.

"Uh, **can you please speak English?" **Violet asked. It was the only Spanish she knew.

"Of course," said Eduardo, "although my English is very not good. Will you forgive bad speaking?"

Violet smiled. "You're forgiven. Please, sit down!" And they all did.

José leaned in and whispered in Violet's ear. "What are you doing? This was supposed to be just the two of us!"

"Relax, dear, the sooner we get this out of the way, the better."

José didn't quite follow her. "Get what out of the way?"

"Meeting your parents, silly!" She turned and looked out at the Hernandez family. "Well, um, err…" She wasn't exactly sure what to say. How do you begin a conversation with your boyfriend's parents? For a long time, she said nothing. Then Eduardo got the ball rolling.

"So, Violet, I saw you on, um, news program. You are the one called Python, right?"

"Yep, that's me."

"You are daughter of Mr. Incredible?"

"Mm-hmm."

"You know, I am very like Mr. Incredible."

This comparison sparked Violet's interest. "Really?" she asked.

"In Mexico, I was great superhero also. I fought evil with powers of super-strength and X-ray vision. I had codename of…" he paused for dramatic effect, "Señor Excellente."

Violet was surprised at this information. "Wow, José, you never told me your parents were supers!"

"I assumed you knew, honey!" José said in his own defense. "Your parents were supers, weren't they?"

"Yeah, but not all supers are born from super parents. Tell me more!" Violet wanted to know everything.

"Okay, let me tell my part now," Juanita said. "I was called La Angela, or the Angel, because my power is flight. I met Eduardo when we were both needed at a bank robbery, and we fell in love. We were married not more than a year after that. We wanted to fight evil together as husband and wife. But our dream was suspended."

"How?" Violet wondered.

"Well, when the United States issued law restricting the activity of supers, Mexico followed suit very quickly. Everyone in our homeland knew Eduardo was Señor Excellente, so the government decided he had to leave Mexico altogether. He and I moved to Phoenix, where we had José and the twins."

"Do the twins have powers?" Violet asked.

"Yes, unfortunately, they both have laser vision powers. Rosa's lasers are red, while Marisol's are blue. It's the only way we can tell them apart."

As if on cue, both Rosa and Marisol stared right at Violet, unleashing their lasers. Without missing a beat, Violet put up a force field to protect herself from the incoming attack. As a result, the lasers were extinguished.

"I see," she said as if nothing had happened. "So, when did you guys move to California?"

"We moved here about seven years ago," Eduardo explained. "When we immigrated to the U.S., Juanita and I immediately registered with the NSA. When the superhero ban was lifted, we wanted to move to a city that had great demand for our services."

"So you came to Metroville," Violet finished.

"Yes," said Juanita. "We tried fighting crime together as a family, but José here kept getting in the way with his over-inflated ego."

**"Mom!" **José yelled. **"Do you have to tell her about that?"**

**"I assumed she already knew, son. After all, that is why you had to join **Alpha Force, **right?"**

**"Mom, please! Let's not talk about this, okay?"**

"Well," said Juanita, "since my son doesn't want us to talk about him, let's hear about you, Violet!"

Violet tugged at her collar. She didn't like being put on the spot like this. "Okay," she said, and she told them the whole story, from how she found her powers to when she met José.

When Violet had finished, Eduardo looked at his watch. "Oh, my, the time has flown away! We really must be going, Violet. You take good care of my son, okay?"

"Don't worry, I will," she reassured him.

Before the Hernandez's left, Juanita pulled José aside and whispered to him. **"Don't let this one get away, I want grandchildren!"**

**"Alright, Mom, get off my case!" **José complained. When the family was gone, José turned back to Violet. "I hope that this little encounter with my parents won't put a damper on our relationship."

"Relax, José. If anything, meeting your family has drawn me closer to you."

He was elated at this news. "Really? Wow, uh, this is, uh…" He was rambling again. Violet was laughing at José's inability to complete a sentence. She had to guide him into speaking cohesively.

"We should…" she coaxed, "…ask the waiter…for the…check."

"Uh, the check, yeah, um, hey waiter! Check please!"

Meanwhile, back on Oriental Avenue…

"Do you realize what this is, Gretchen?" asked Mr. Von Braun, holding up a can of Alpha Force's magic proof spray.

"No, Jurgen, but I have a feeling you are going to tell me anyway."

"This means that there is another villain out there fighting Alpha Force, and this strange spray paint is how they defeat him. I saw Python use it just yesterday. She sprayed herself with it, went inside that house, and she came out with the team in tow."

"Well, what exactly does this spray stuff do, dear?"

"I don't know. Maybe it makes one invincible to this being, whatever it is."

"And what exactly do you intend to do about it?"

Jurgen had thought about this for a while now. "I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to go in there, find whoever this other villain is, and I'm going to discover the secret of his power. Once I do, I'm going to steal it, and then I'll be unstoppable! Hahahahahahaha…"

"Wait a minute," interrupted Gretchen. "Won't Alpha Force be able to block this new power regardless of who's wielding it?"

"Yes, love, but they won't be expecting it from me!"

"All right, I just hope you know what you're doing."

(A/N: So, how am I doing so far? You see, this story is not just a battle of good v. evil, it is also a battle of evil v. evil. Don't forget to review, so I can get some feedback. Oh and there is one little thing that's been nagging me: I have the strangest feeling that I am the oldest person who uses this site. True or false? I am 19 years old, but I will be 20 in January.)


	36. Evil vs Evil

Dateline: Thursday, April 30, 1981, 3:02 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"How could we let them get away like that?" Loren Kriznek asked nobody in particular. "And more importantly, how is it that they are not affected by my spells?"

"Well, I'm not sure, but I think they have some form of anti-magic," Vox said.

Loren looked on his only friend with contempt. "Anti-magic? Don't be ridiculous, Vox! The only one who has anti-magic is my sister, and she lives in South Carolina!"

"Forgive me, sir," Vox apologized. "So, challenging them didn't work, trapping them didn't work, so what plan shall we try next?"

"I have an idea, although it's pretty lame."

"Let's hear it. Remember, no idea is a bad idea."

"Well," said the Wicked Wichard, "we could just find out where they live, knock on their door, and pretend we're delivering a package."

"It's genius!" Vox exulted.

"Thank you, I needed someone to kiss my ass today. Now, what did you really think of it?"

"Oh, that plan sucks!"

"That's what I thought."

While this discourse was going on, Herr Cannon was driving his weapon to the site where he saw yesterday's triumph of Alpha Force. It wasn't easy, inasmuch as his arm was still in a cast, but he was determined to destroy whatever monstrosity was inside that house. Besides, if his plan was ever going to be a success, he had to vaporize this house anyway. He positioned his weapon to fire right at the front window (the front door had already been demolished). With the weapon in place, he filled the chamber with gunpowder. Then he loaded the barrel, albeit with difficulty. He lit a match and ignited the powder.

Back inside, Loren and Vox were still discussing a plan to capture the young band of super heroes, when a deafening sound, like a thousand peals of thunder, arose from the direction of the kitchen. The two ran there to see what was going on. What they saw was a mess of wooden boards, bricks, and shards of glass. The entire wall was gone now. In its place, there stood a tallish man with his right arm in a sling. Beside the man was a large cannon, obviously the source of the noise and the damage.

All at once, Loren was scared out of his wits. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you with Alpha Force?"

"Relax," the stranger said. "I am the enemy of your enemy, but not your friend. My name is Herr Cannon!"

"Wait, if you and I are both villains, then why are you attacking me? We should be working together to destroy our foes, right?"

"Wrong!" Herr Cannon bellowed. "The way I see it, Alpha Force isn't big enough for the both of us. So here's what's going to happen: you're going to give me your powers, and then I'm going to destroy Alpha Force alone."

Naturally, the Wicked Wichard was suspicious. "What will happen if I don't give you my powers? What are you going to do, kill me?"

"No, that would be to easy…" Herr Cannon grabbed Vox by the arm. Then, holding him with his bad arm, Herr Cannon produced a butcher knife from his pocket. "If you don't give me your powers, I'll kill him!"

Loren was shocked! How could this man have the nerve to slaughter an innocent person over a dispute he was having with someone else? _Well, I'll just have to teach this monster a lesson,_ he thought. He cast a spell of intensely hot fire and launched it right at Herr Cannon's feet. To his surprise, nothing happened.

"Impossible!" he breathed. "You should be collapsed in anguish by now, releasing my friend in the process!"

"And yet, here I stand," Herr Cannon teased. "Now this is your last chance, whoever you are! Your power or your friend?"

Feeling defeated, Loren fell to his knees. "Please, don't hurt him. He's the only friend I have. I'll do anything you say." The Wicked Wichard was on the verge of bawling.

"You know what I want," Herr Cannon said as he let Vox go. "How do I get your powers?"

"First," Loren explained, "you need to have an open wound."

Mr. Von Braun transferred the knife to his bad hand. Then he dragged his good hand across the blade, wincing in pain as he did. He made a fist so that the blood would flow. "What next?" he asked.

"Now give me the knife," Loren answered.

Jurgen was reluctant to surrender his blade. "How do I know you won't pull a fast one on me?"

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead." It was a lie, but Loren said it to gain his trust. Jurgen handed him the knife. Then Loren cut his own hand in a similar manner. Herr Cannon and Vox alike were surprised to see that Loren's blood was purple.

"What the hell kind of witchcraft is this?" Herr Cannon asked.

"It's not witchcraft; it's the source of witchcraft. Now hold out your wounded hand."

"Which one?" Herr Cannon joked.

"Please don't make jokes. This is hard enough for me as it is. Your bloody hand?"

Mr. Von Braun held his hand face up. Loren gripped his fist tightly and poured his violet blood onto Herr Cannon's wound. In an instant, Jurgen's blood changed color to match the Wichard's.

"You can use your new power to heal yourself," Loren suggested.

Taking this to heart, Herr Cannon focused on his open wound, willing it to sew itself up. To his amazement, it did! Next, he healed his still broken arm, knocking the cast off in the process. "This is great!" he said.

"This is terrible!" Loren said, staring at his gaping wound. He was horrified, and yet he knew this would happen. Gone was the soft lavender hue of his lifeblood, replaced with a rusty red. His powers were gone, because he had shared them with another. But, he knew it was the right thing to do. He had to save his friend.

"Now to finish the job!" Herr Cannon bellowed. He picked up the knife where Loren dropped it. Then he rushed at Vox, forced him to the ground, and held the knife aloft, as if to cut his prey open.

"What the hell? We had a deal! You said if I gave you my powers, you wouldn't hurt him!"

Herr Cannon grinned an evil grin. "No, I said if you didn't give me your powers, I would kill him. You may have sacrificed your power to save him, but I'm going to kill him anyway!"

"NO!" Loren charged Herr Cannon in a fit of rage. With his newly acquired power, Herr Cannon immobilized Loren, so he wouldn't interfere. Then he drove the knife deep into Vox's chest and carved a long gash into his midsection. Screams of ultimate agony arose from Vox's throat.

As soon as he was finished, Herr Cannon released Loren from his spell. Loren rushed to Vox's side and wept over the monstrous actions of this malevolent beast.

"Look at you," Herr Cannon said with disappointment. "You value your friend more than you do your powers. Some villain you are!" He picked up his cannon with ease and left the scene.

Loren was still in tears as Vox moved slightly. "Please don't die on me, buddy!" he said. "Don't you die on me, dammit!"

Vox coughed up blood. "I wish…" He coughed again. "I wish I had been a hero." He groaned as he breathed his last.

Loren looked up and saw Herr Cannon walking away. "You'll pay for this, you murderer!" he vowed amid the tears. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll see to it that you are destroyed!"

Meanwhile, over on New York Avenue…

"…And then, who should come up to our table but his family!" Violet said.

"Oh my gawd!" said Kim. "I don't think much more could have gone wrong!"

Just then, the phone rang. "I'll get it," said Ashley. "Hello?"

"Who is this? Are you with Alpha Force?"

"Yeah, who is this?"

"This is Edna. We're all finished."  
"Uh, great, wh…"

"You will come over in one hour, I insist, okay? Okay, bye-bye now."

(A/N: Sorry it took me so very long to update. I'm back in school, and you know, duty calls. Don't worry about me though! I'll be just fine! Review please, and be constructive, okay? Until next time…)


	37. New Uniforms

Dateline: Thursday, April 30, 1981, 6:45 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"I just don't understand it," José thought aloud while Violet drove the team to Edna's house. "She just got the order to make the uniforms yesterday, and she's already finished? How is it possible?"

"She's been working on this particular project ever since Alpha Force was formed nearly two weeks ago," explained Dash.

"Oh," José said stymied.

The Alphamobile rumbled up the drive to the laser gate that guarded Edna's property. Just to the left of the car was a medium sized monitor. On it, there appeared a color image of the chief security guard.

"Do you have an appointment?" the guard asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we do. We're supposed to see her at 7:00 today."

The guard lightly skimmed an open book, seemingly looking for their names. "I'm sorry; Edna is not scheduled to see anyone…" He was interrupted by the diminutive designer pushing him out of the way.

"Go! Go on, get out of here! Go; go stand somewhere until I need you again." She moved to look into the monitor. The screen only showed her eyes and a distorted image of her nose, but one could still tell it was E.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you here to hit me up for money?"

Violet stifled a laugh. "E, it's Alpha Force. You called us over here."

"Oh, yeah, the new uniforms, I had forgotten! You know, the memory is always the first to go. Come on in!"

The screen went blank as the gate opened. Violet drove inside and found a place to park on the long driveway. As the team disembarked from the vehicle, E stepped outside with arms open wide.

"Violet, my dear!" she said, gripping her in an oddly tight embrace. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Actually, no," she responded. "It's only been since Saturday."

"Ah, yes, of course. You know my memory is not what it used to be." She turned to greet Dash in a similar manner.

"I see you were able to get all of those mirrors out of your house," Dash observed.

"Yes, yes, those terrible things, I had them all smashed to pieces. Watch your step, darling, there's still broken glass everywhere."

E had a little trouble remembering Ashley's name. José kept a professional attitude, merely shaking Edna's hand. Then E came to Kim.

"You must be Liquegirl!" she said.

"Yes, I…wait, how did you know that I had chosen Liquegirl as a codename?"

"Well, I'm sure I don't know, darling. I guess it seemed like the obvious choice."

"Sure. Well, enough talk; let's see those uniforms, eh?"

"Follow me, darlings," said Edna. She led the team around to the back of her house. She opened up what appeared to be a storm shelter and escorted them inside. They descended a long spiral staircase that led to an underground hallway. It was filled with fairly decent duplications of Edna's favorite creations. At the end, there was a large metal door next to a series of security measures. E made short work of disarming the system, what with the entering of security codes, the scanning of the hands and the eyes, and whatnot. She finished with a voice lock.

"Edna Mode."

Suddenly, a plethora of truly frightening weapons appeared out of the ceiling. "And multiple guests." And the weapons vanished.

The door opened in a most peculiar way, and E and her entourage walked into the lab. The place was crawling with the tools of E's trade. Dressmaker dummies, design blueprints, alpha test weaponry, etc.

"There's not going to be enough room for all of you to sit, so if you would please stand right here…" and she lined them up in front of the display box, behind the moving chair track. Then she sat down herself, and began the show.

"Naturally, I started with Python's suit." From the far left of the display box emerged a mannequin of Violet's measurements, wearing the new suit. It was navy blue all over, except for a bright logo on the chest area. The logo was a perfect circle with a purple border and a black interior. Over the circle was a big magenta capital "A", in a Serif font.

As the dummy moved to the right, Edna's chair moved in time with it. "I cut it nice and tight, to show off that sexy figure of yours…" That was odd. Violet had never considered herself sexy. "…and of course, it will disappear completely as you do, but now it will not reflect any electromagnetic radiation of any kind."

"Meaning…?" Violet asked.

"Not even X-rays will be able to find you," Edna explained. "Okay, Rocket's suit…" The chair snapped back to its original position as the next dummy emerged. This one was wearing a similar getup, but not identical.

"I made this one out of a unique fabric that will withstand the fantastic friction without heating up or wearing out. And in a pinch, I threw in a pair of roller skates."

"Roller skates?" asked Dash.

"Well, I had to surpass your previous suit," said Edna. "Now, Blind Tracy's suit was a little tricky. It was hard to make something that complemented her powers, but I managed to find this helmet that will amplify her telekinetic abilities threefold.

"For Heartthrob's suit, I installed a heart monitor that will display his pulse rate in real time. I put it on his palm so that nobody but him would ever be able to see it.

"Liquegirl's suit can change its shape to match hers, even to the point of breaking, and still be able to return to its standard position. Virtually, no, completely indestructible, yet it breathes like Babylonian silk!

"And as always, these suits are fireproof, bulletproof, and machine washable, darlings. Well, what do you think?"

"I don't know. I didn't see anything," said Ashley.

"Of course you didn't, smart mouth!" Kim scolded. "Well, I think that these suits are just fabulous."

"Yeah, what made you pick navy as the color?" asked Violet.

"It is not navy!" E yelled. "It is heliotrope! If it were just bit darker, then it would be navy!"

"Okay, okay," Violet pleaded. "Whatever you say."

The mannequins that appeared in the display box emerged into the main room, then vanished. The new team uniforms fell neatly onto the table. They supers took them.

"Hey, which one is mine again?" asked Ashley.

"This one," said José as he handed it to her.

The team started to leave with their new super suits in hand, but Edna was a little too eager to shut the front door. Kim's arm got caught in the doorjamb, and as a result it detached, falling onto the floor of the front room. E didn't even notice it until Kim knocked on the door again.

"Yeah, hi, can I have my arm back, please?"

E gladly returned the severed limb.

Back at the ranch, the team was giving their new getups a test drive when a call came over the Alpha Phone.

"Team," said the sheriff, "we don't need your services right away, but there is something you should know about."

"What is it?"

"If our source can be trusted, Herr Cannon and the Wicked Wichard of the West-by-Northwest have just had an altercation, and now the former has the latter's magical powers."

"Really? And, what exactly is your source?"

"The Wicked Wichard himself."

"Uh, huh. Well, in case this turns out to be the truth, we'll be prepared."

"Thank you." The sheriff hung up.

"Vi, you don't really believe that Herr Cannon has Loren's powers, do you?" asked Ashley.

"No," she answered, "but, you can never be too careful, can you?"

(A/N: 37 down, only 3 more to go. I'm going to be so sad when this is finished. But I just can't wait until I can start writing 'The Incredibles 3-G'! Hey, don't forget to hit the review button so I can see how I'm doing! See you all next time!)


	38. Confidence

Dateline: Friday, May 1, 1981, 8:02 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Kimberly Lavender was extremely stressed out. She had come to the school library to relax, but it was difficult for her to enjoy reading "The Great Gatsby" with her mind on the new, more powerful Herr Cannon. Hero work was still new to her. She only escaped from the last fiasco by the skin of her teeth. With no confidence in her own abilities, Kim was seriously considering quitting the team, maybe even breaking it off with Dash.

Just then, someone sat down at the table next to her. Kim looked up and saw Ashley "Blind Tracy" Cohen. "What are you so stressed out about?" she asked.

Kim was a little confused. "Why can't you just read my mind and find out?"

"Sometimes, it helps to talk about what's bothering you. Bad news shared is a burden halved, after all."

"Can't argue with that logic," Kim responded. "Okay, I'm nervous about fighting this extra-strong bad guy, because I'm…"

"You're not sure you were cut out to be a super hero," Ashley interrupted.

"Yeah. I'm not like Dash. He knows he's a good super hero…"

"Ah, you're jealous of Dash because of his background. You know he's got what it takes because he came from a family of supers, but you're accidental?"

"Okay, seriously, you have to warn me before you go poking around in my head."

"I know how you feel, Kim," Ashley said with compassion. "I'm accidental too."

"Really? Your parents weren't supers either?"

Ashley sighed. Her parents had just been killed a week ago, and her grief was still fresh. "Mom and Dad were great parents. They never treated me like I was anything less than normal, regardless of my powers and my handicap." And then came the tears.

"I don't know how it feels to have someone close to you die," Kim said, "but I imagine it must hurt." She put a hand on Ashley's shoulder and tried to comfort her.

"It's okay," Ashley said, drying her eyes. "My parents were killed by Herr Cannon. When I joined the team, I did it so I could avenge them. I know they're in a better place now, but I feel it's what my father would have wanted."

"Your dad would have wanted you to avenge his death?"

"No, silly. My dad would want me to make sure no more innocent people were killed by this madman."

"Oh, I see. So, it's the death of your parents that gives you the strength you need to stand up to evil?"

"Yep. We all need some source of confidence to get through even our daily lives."

"I wish I could find some confidence in myself."

"C'mon, Kim. Don't think that just because you're an accidental super, you can't be a great hero! Do you remember Elastigirl?"

"Of course! She's my super idol! I have all her comics!"

"She was accidental too. Violet told me that, so I know it's true."

Kim nodded her head. Suddenly, she didn't feel so scared anymore. "You know, Ashley, I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too. Now we'd better get to class before the bell rings."

Meanwhile, over in the weight room, Dash was stressing out too. He had been punching the speed bag for about fifteen minutes. Dash was very confident in his power of super-speed; he had been ever since he was five. He wasn't afraid of Herr Cannon, even if he did have the power to turn him into a bug and squash him. Okay, so Dash was a little scared of Herr Cannon, he had to admit that to himself. But he wasn't about to let fear keep him from doing his duty to the general public. Besides, he had been rehearsing a most ingenious move with his sister; he would be able to strike Herr Cannon with total surprise.

José was also a little worried about facing a doubly-strong foe. He had decided to visit his family for a few words of encouragement.

"Dad, have you ever had an enemy you thought you couldn't beat?" he asked in Spanish.

"Of course! Every superhero I know has had a little problem with confidence once in a while, myself included," Eduardo answered.

"What did you do about it?"

"I remind myself of all my past victories, and that good always triumphs over evil."

"Oh, really?" said Juanita as she strolled in from the twins' bedroom, "and the fact that I was always there to cover your butt had nothing to do with it?"

Eduardo had to admit she was right. "No matter what you're up against, son, just do your best and let your teammates do the rest."

"Thanks, Dad," José said as he got up to leave. When he got to the door, however, he ran into his little sister Marisol.

"One quick question before you go," she said, "do you want to be buried or cremated when you die?"

"Marisol!" Juanita scolded. "You know better than to pick on your brother like that!"

"Yeah, I'm having enough trouble with my confidence as it is, and I don't need you causing more." But just before he left, José whispered in Marisol's ear: "Buried."

Meanwhile, downtown, you guessed it, Violet was nervous as well. She wanted to call her parents and talk to them, but personal calling wasn't allowed at the office. She didn't know if any of her co-workers were supers, so she had nobody to talk to. Violet had to do something to ease her nerves, so she did the only thing she could do. She dropped to her knees and prayed.

"Dear God," she prayed silently, "I admit I don't know what's going to happen. I'm not sure I can face Herr Cannon, now that he has the power of Loren Kriznek as well. But I know that your Word says 'I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.' I'm counting on that. I need your help, Lord. I know that you alone are the one who can bring us to victory against our foe. Please, Lord, don't let us be destroyed by Herr Cannon."

Then Violet sighed, and remembered that maybe, just maybe; God would want Herr Cannon to win. Offhand, she couldn't think of a reason why God would want that, but she was sure that God's will was perfect. So, she added, "Nonetheless, not my will, but yours be done. In Jesus' name, this I pray. Amen."

As soon as she finished her prayer, her radio-watch went off. She knew it could only mean one thing.

"Python reporting."

"Rocket reporting."

"Blind Tracy reporting."

"Heartthrob reporting."

"Liquegirl reporting."

"The Wicked Wichard was telling the truth, you guys," said the sheriff. "Herr Cannon is the hotel district, using his magic to demolish everything he sees."

"I'm ready for him," Violet said, "are you guys ready?"

"Oh, yeah!" said Dash.

"I was born ready," said Ashley.

"Ready as I'll ever be," said Kim.

"Let's rock and roll!" said José.

"All right, stay where you are, I'll come and pick you guys up. Python out."

Violet ducked into a women's changing room downstairs and suited up.

"Showtime," she said.

(A/N: This chapter is dedicated to the victims of hurricane Katrina. I wish you all a speedy recovery. Well, with only two chapters left, there's not much else for me to say except review please and see you next time.)


	39. The Final Battle

(WARNING: This chapter is extremely long!)

Dateline: Friday, May 1, 1981, 11:12 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

Python rumbled down the street in the Alphamobile. She was on her way to Metroville High School to pick up her teammates, Rocket, Blind Tracy, and Liquegirl. When she pulled up, she saw her brother and the girl whom she thought of as the little sister she never had, in full costume. They got into the car.

"Where's Kim?" Python asked.

Rocket opened his mouth wide, and out of it poured a strange dark blue liquid. It flowed onto the seat next to him, and then took on human form. It was Liquegirl, also in full costume.

"Oh, yeah, Dash, great idea!" she complained. "You nearly swallowed me twice! That is the last time I let you talk me into hiding in there!"

_I am going to need some serious therapy before this thing is over,_ thought Python as she pulled away from the school.

"Where's your boyfriend, huh, short stuff?" asked Rocket.

"I don't know," said Python, "I'd better find out. And don't call me 'short stuff'!" She got on her radio-watch. "Heartthrob, this is Python, come in, over."

"This is Heartthrob, read you loud and clear, Python."

"Heartthrob, I need your ten-twenty, repeat, I need your current position, over."

"I'm at the corner of 12th Street and Kentucky Avenue, why?"

"Stay there; I'm coming to pick you up. Python out."

She turned the wheel hard to the right and started southbound on 12th Street. But when she got within sight of Kentucky Avenue, she saw a most distressing sight.

"Oh, that's just perfect!" Python complained.

"What's going on?" asked Blind Tracy.

"Traffic," answered Rocket, "and it's backed up three whole blocks!"

"Rocket," said Python, "it would be faster if we walked, or rather if you did!"

He knew exactly what his big sister was implying. He got out of the car and skated down the line of traffic to where Heartthrob was. However, he miscalculated how quickly he could stop in those things. He had to grab a lamppost to keep from rolling all the way to San Diego. After he came to a complete stop, he discarded the skates in disgust.

"E and her crazy ideas!" he fumed.

Once he got his heart rate up, Heartthrob ran in tandem with Rocket back to the Alphamobile. "Great," said Heartthrob, "now that we're all here, let's go get Herr Cannon!"

"We can't," said Python.

"Why not?" was the collective response of the team.

"The hotel district is this way, so we have to wait for the traffic to clear up."

"No, we don't!" shouted Liquegirl. She TAGed the car. All at once, the car and its occupants began to melt. Now that it was so much smaller, and more flexible, Python drove underneath all the cars in front of her. The team got past them all in no time at all.

When they got there, they saw exactly what the sheriff had described: chaos and destruction. Herr Cannon was plainly visible, using his magic to fire his weapon instead of his ammunition.

"All right, is everyone magic-proofed?" Python asked. Everyone said yes. "All right then, let's go!" Python parked the car and the team ran out to face their foe. Herr Cannon noticed Alpha Force, and dropped what he was doing so he could look them right in the eye.

"My, my, my," he said, "you guys look mighty spiffy in your new suits. You'll be that much nicer looking…for your funerals!" He cast a death spell at them, but to no effect. They all just smiled. "Hmm, I had a feeling you guys would have some sort of anti-magic shield." He grabbed his cannon with both hands and spun it around to face them. "Let's see if it can protect you from…" His voice trailed off when he noticed that they were gone. He sighed. "Here we go with the hide and seek again!"

"That's what you think!" screeched a female's voice. All of a sudden, Herr Cannon felt weightless. Then his whole body lifted off the ground. He struggled to break free of whatever was holding him, but in vain.

"Why not come out where I can see you, Blind Tracy?" he asked.

From behind a beleaguered hotel emerged the visually impaired orphan. She gestured toward her head. "Cool, huh? It triples the strength of my telekinesis, so this time you won't escape! Now, into the cannon with you!"

"What?" Much as Herr Cannon tried to fight it, Blind Tracy managed to shove him into his own weapon.

"Okay, now where are the matches?" She got down on her hands and knees and started to feel around for the matches.

"Looking for these?" asked Herr Cannon, holding out a matchbook.

"Thank you…wait a minute, how did you…?" Poor Blind Tracy never finished her question. Herr Cannon punched her out first.

"Hey! Don't you know better than to hit a blind person?" Herr Cannon turned and saw Liquegirl defiantly pointing at him.

"I'll take care of you next!" he bellowed. He marched like a soldier toward her. She freaked out and ran away, but Herr Cannon gave chase. He cast a spell, making three brick walls appear. Suddenly, Liquegirl found herself at a dead end, with nowhere to run. She turned and saw Herr Cannon barreling on her like a freight train. At the last second, she liquefied. Herr Cannon plowed right through her with a _splash._ Unable to stop, he then _crashed _into the wall he himself had made. Liquegirl was unharmed, naturally.

"Yes!" she exulted when she saw Herr Cannon. But just then, he got up, cracked his neck, and healed himself right before her eyes. Now Liquegirl was nervous all over again. Herr Cannon delivered a hard jab that landed in her stomach with a _plop._ With her enemy's fist in her abdomen, Liquegirl had an idea. She altered her viscosity, to make her fluid body as thick and sticky as tar. Herr Cannon tried to pull his fist out of the goo, but he couldn't.

"Hey, can someone come and beat this guy up while I still have him trapped?" Liquegirl asked nobody in particular.

Just then, Rocket arrived in a blur of blue fabric. "I'll do it!" he said. And he proceeded to punch Herr Cannon again and again. He even managed to draw blood from the villain. He was astonished that it was purple, but it didn't faze him.

"VOLVO!" Herr Cannon screamed amid the beating. And the next thing anyone knows, he's gone! Rocket swore.

As it turns out, "Volvo" was a teleportation spell that Loren never thought to use. It's also what Herr Cannon used to escape from the cannon. However, he couldn't choose his destination when he used it. He ended up right in front of Heartthrob's face.

"Looks like it's my turn to rough you up!" he said. He punched his hand to show how serious he was.

"Wait!" Herr Cannon protested. "You're super-strong and I'm not! That's not a fair fight!" He put his thumb and forefinger in his mouth and whistled loudly. His weapon magically rolled by itself, right to his side, like an obedient dog. "Okay, now it's a fair fight."

Herr Cannon clapped his hands twice to make his weapon fire. The large cannonball soared with a deafening _BOOM_, and was threatening to mutilate Heartthrob. He wanted to run, but he willed himself to stay still. He knew that the sight of the massive lead sphere would get his heart rate up high enough to defend against it. He ended up catching the huge bullet the way a mortal man would catch a basketball.

"Nice throw," he commented. "Now, let's see you catch it!"

Heartthrob spun around in a circle to build up momentum. Then he flung it right back at his adversary. Herr Cannon knew this was coming, so he teleported away. Now the cannonball was on its way to hit another building! Heartthrob ran after it very quickly, hoping to catch it before it made contact. Unfortunately, his shoes were untied, and he tripped and fell. He was unharmed, but there was now nothing he could do to stop that cannonball.

Luckily, Python had been watching the whole thing. She stuck out her hands to create a force field in the trajectory of the ball. The ball hit the force field with such momentum, that it dispersed. Then the ball hit the asphalt and slowly rolled to a stop. With that crisis out of the way, Python ran to check on her fallen boyfriend.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine, but where's the rest of the team?"

As soon as he said that, Rocket rushed up with Blind Tracy over his shoulder. Liquegirl flowed out of his boot.

"We found her like this," Rocket explained, pointing to Blind Tracy. "I think it's time we fall back and regroup."

"Great idea!" said Liquegirl. "Let's duck in there," she gestured to an empty liquor store. Then she flowed inside under the locked door, unlocked it from the inside, and hustled the team inside. Once there, they revived Blind Tracy with cold water.

"Okay," said Python in her best authoritative voice, "what do we know about our enemy?"

"We know he's too clever to be defeated by mere brute force," said Heartthrob.

"Whatever we throw at him, he'll use his magic and escape it," added Rocket.

Liquegirl was thinking hard. "It seems to me that the logical course of action is to disable his magic, and then kick his ass."

"Great idea, Dr. Spock," said Blind Tracy, "but how exactly are we supposed to zonk out his powers, huh?"

"I don't know," said Liquegirl, "I'm not exactly familiar with magic."

"I've got it!" Python exclaimed. "Does anybody have a quarter?"

The Alpha Forcers all said no. "You could take one out of the cash register over there, and leave an IOU," suggested Rocket.

"All right, here's the plan: you guys get back out there and keep Herr Cannon busy for as long as you can. I'm going to reach out and touch someone who knows a thing or two about magic." Python stuck her hand out. "Alpha Force on three!" she said. Everyone else placed a hand on top of hers.

"One, two, three…ALPHA FORCE!" And the team took off.

Python rushed to a nearby pay phone, and dialed the operator. "Hello, can you connect me to 5772 Atlantic Avenue, please?"

It was Rocket who spotted Herr Cannon first. He was making rubble out of another high-rise. "Hey, chowder head!" Rocket called out. "You want a piece of this?" He waved his rear end in Herr Cannon's face.

Enraged, Herr Cannon charged them, but ended up caught in Blind Tracy's telekinesis. As he hovered in mid-air, Rocket and Heartthrob took turns punching him. Herr Cannon opened his mouth to cast the teleportation spell, but Liquegirl stuck her hand over his mouth, effectively gluing it shut, to keep him from speaking.

"Ha, ha!" she exclaimed. "Let's see you get out of this one, tiger!"

Rocket and Heartthrob continued to beat on him for quite some time. So much, in fact, that fatigue started to set in. With Blind Tracy still holding him aloft and Liquegirl keeping him muted, the two men decided to take a breather for a little while. When they did, Herr Cannon hatched a plan. First, he healed his wounds, for obvious reasons. Then, he started to move his tongue around in the gelatinous substance that covered his mouth. When he did, Liquegirl started to giggle.

"Hey, stop!" she said. "That tickles!" But Herr Cannon didn't stop. He had unexpectedly discovered Liquegirl's weakness! Herr Cannon kept this up as long as he could. It got to be so uncomfortable, that Liquegirl yanked herself from his mouth on a reflex.

"VOLVO!" Herr Cannon screamed once able to speak again. And then he was gone. The supers were incredulous, meaning they couldn't believe what just happened.

"Guys," said Liquegirl, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

"Never mind that now, sweetheart," said Rocket. "There's still a chance we can win this fight. We've got to find Python!"

The team rushed over to the nearest pay phone, expecting to find their leader there. And sure enough, there she was.

"So that's all I have to do?" she asked into the phone. "Well, that should be no problem! Thank you, bye!" She hung up, then spun around to find her team standing there. "Oh, great, you're here! I know what we have to do. Where's Herr Cannon?"

"He kind of got away from us," said Blind Tracy.

"That's okay. Now here's the plan." She motioned that they all should huddle up. They did, and Python whispered the plan to them.

"Super idea, dear," said Heartthrob, "but there's just one problem. How are we supposed to find Herr Cannon?"

Just then, the villain's weapon rolled by under its own power, just like it did before. Thinking quickly, Python jumped onto the barrel of the cannon and rode it like a horse all the way to where Herr Cannon was.

"Oh, dear me!" she said, feigning terror, "it seems I have been captured by the mighty Herr Cannon! Oh, what terrible fate shall be wrought upon me?"

Herr Cannon, not seeing how poorly Python was acting, grabbed her by the wrists and stared intensely into her eyes. Just then, the rest of the team arrived.

"Oh, my!" said Blind Tracy. "I wish someone would tell me what was happening, for I myself cannot see it!"

"Dear Blind Tracy," said Liquegirl, "It seems that the strong and merciless Herr Cannon has captured our leader!"

"What a shame!" said Heartthrob, "and I never got to tell her I loved her!"

"Oh, the hu-man-it-y!" said Rocket, pronouncing every syllable.

"Yes!" Herr Cannon said, oblivious to the team's collective sarcasm, "I have your leader! And if you don't do exactly as I say, I'll kill her!"

Alpha Force wasn't frightened in the least by this blowhard's threat. It was all part of their master plan. "We shall never submit to your will, o villain of death!" they all said.

"Fine!" said Herr Cannon, pulling a knife from his pocket. "Have it your way!" And he brought the knife to Python's neck and was about to terminate her, when…

"WAIT!" Python screamed. "Don't I at least get a last request?"

"Um…well…" Evil super villain though he was, Herr Cannon was still a gentleman…as gentle a man as he could be, that is. "Okay, I guess you deserve one final request. What would you like?"

Python smiled. Her plan was working.

"Could I have a bag of peanuts, please?"

"Of course you can! Stay right here, I'll go get one for you." And like the idiot he was, he went inside one of the hotels he hadn't demolished yet and got them for her. It didn't take very long at all. "Here's your peanuts, you over-zealous goody-two-shoes bag of bones!"

Rocket stepped forward, wanting to turn Herr Cannon into mincemeat, but Liquegirl held him back. Alpha Force had to let Python's plan play out.

Python opened the bag and began to eat ravenously.

"Yes, enjoy your little snack, you snake, because the next taste to invade your mouth will be the bitter taste of death!" Herr Cannon's words didn't bother Python. Her plan was about to enter its final stages.

"You know," she said, "it would be rude of me to eat in front of you without offering you some of my food. Would you like some?" She held out the bag for him.

"No, no, I couldn't, this is supposed to be your last request."

_Uh, oh,_ thought Python. "No, I insist, have some! What's the harm?"

"Well, when you put it that way, how could I refuse? Besides, I love peanuts!" And together, Python and Herr Cannon finished off the bag. When they were finished, Herr Cannon got his knife back out. "All right, you've had your nuts. Now, before I kill you, do you have any last words?"

"Only two," she responded, snarling. She spun around and kicked Herr Cannon right in the hand that held the knife. It fell to the ground. Then, Python screamed, "DOG PILE!"

All at once, the entire team jumped on top of Herr Cannon, nearly squashing him to death. Nearly.

"Hey, great plan, boss," said Blind Tracy. "I admit, I had my doubts, but he fell for it hook, line, and sinker!"

Herr Cannon laughed an evil laugh. "You fools! Have you forgotten about my magic? VOLVO!" But nothing happened. He tried it again. And again. Each time, nothing happened. "Why won't it work?" he asked.

"You ate the peanuts," Liquegirl explained. "The oil in the peanuts reacted with your blood to cancel out all your magic. Now, there's nothing you can do except wait for the police to come!"

Herr Cannon screamed, then coughed. He was having trouble breathing, and I don't think I need to say why. In time, the sheriff came with a large group of policemen.

"All right, you guys, get off of him," he said, "we can take it from here." The police cuffed Herr Cannon and took him away. "You guys did great today," he continued. "The people of Metroville owe you a debt of gratitude."

"Thanks, but it's really not necessary," Python said. "We're just doing our job."

"All right, but if you ever change your mind…" he pointed at her watch, "you know where to reach me." And with that, he left for the police station.

"Okay, now where did we park?" asked Rocket.

"In front of the Best hotel, on Third Street, I think." The team ran there.

"Well, this is the right place," Python said, "but I don't see our car anywhere."

"Are you sure we parked right here?" asked Heartthrob.

"I'm positive!"

"Then why isn't it here?" asked Blind Tracy.

"Um, guys?" Liquegirl said pointing to a nearby sign. "I think this might have something to do with it."

The team ran over to read the sign. "No Parking Anytime. All Violators Will Be Towed."

"Oh, sure, now you see the No Parking sign!" Rocket complained.

"I left my lunch in that car," Blind Tracy whined.

"I think it may be time we called in that debt of gratitude," said Python.

(A/N: Whew! Herr Cannon is finally behind bars, where he belongs! Sorry I made this chapter so freaking long, but I was committed to keeping the final battle in one chapter. Don't worry, Chapter 40 will be one of normal length, I promise. Hey, hit the review button and tell me how I'm doing! This story will come to a close yet!)


	40. His Own Son's Graduation

Dateline: Saturday, May 30, 1981, 9:23 AM, Pacific Daylight Time.

"Kimberly Lavender, valedictorian."

Dash watched the apple of his eye stride briskly across the stage to accept her diploma. She looked absolutely stunning in her cap and gown. It was odd, how he found her to be so beautiful, even when all their peers called her "Window Face". As he gazed lovingly upon her, something nagged him in back of his mind. Something he had wanted to ask her ever since they had first met. They had known each other so well by now, he figured that question was moot. And yet, he knew he should verbalize it to her.

"Patrick Law."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the students in his row standing up. He took that as his cue to stand up as well.

In the bleachers, Violet sat with her family behind her and her teammates beside her. She scanned the class of '81 for her brother. It was difficult to locate him, because all the students looked identical. But she managed to glimpse his blond mustache, somehow.

Being here again reminded Violet of her own graduation, no more than three years ago. She remembered searching the stands for her family. She was sure they had come, but there were so many spectators that she couldn't locate them. She felt so alone. But later, she was reunited with them, and she felt so much better.

Over to Violet's left, Ashley couldn't shake feeling of uncertainty. She knew full well that Dash loved Kim and she loved him. She had to admit she was jealous of Miss Lavender because of that; she herself had a crush on Dash. But besides that, she wasn't sure what would happen to her as a result of her parents' untimely death. Would she be put into foster care? Could she get emancipated? Would her blindness be a factor?

Ideally, Ashley would want to be placed in Violet's care. She had come to view her benevolent leader more as a mother figure than anything else. She was only five years her junior, but still. Plus, she knew full well that Violet and José were destined to walk down the aisle. She couldn't see these two lovebirds holding on to each other just two inches from her face (or anything else, for that matter), but she could read it in their thought patterns.

The procession continued rather rapidly; there weren't that many students with names in the M's, N's, or O's. Bob was excited. He had never been to any of his son's previous "artificial" graduations, but there wasn't enough money on the planet to keep him away from the real deal. He looked over at his wife, seeing the joy and pride in her eyes. He looked down at Jack-Jack and looked forward to the moment when he would walk the stage. He looked back at the stage, anticipating his eldest son's arrival.

Backstage, Dash was jittery. He wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen. He had never been good on stage. He had ruined three school plays because he had gotten stage fright at the moment of truth. It was only slightly comforting to know that they didn't expect him to do anything. Still, he couldn't feel his legs.

"Jerome Parker, with honors."

He was next. He stepped forward. He was the only one on the stage. He searched the stand for his family and friends, but he couldn't locate them. He felt the eyes of a thousand spectators upon him. He could have sworn they were all thinking, "That guy graduated?"

"Dashell Parr."

He heard applause. He felt so much better. He turned and walked to the academic dean, who handed him a leather folder. She stuck out her hand for Dash to shake.

"Congratulations," she said somberly.

"Thank you," was all Dash could think of to say.

He marched off stage like a man on his way to his execution. Backstage, he peeked inside the folder. It was empty, but that didn't surprise him. He had been told this in advance. He looked up and saw an administrator handing him a smallish piece of paper.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

He took a good long look at his diploma. "Dashell Parr, having completed in a satisfactory manner the regular Course of Study as prescribed for the High School Department is entitled to receive this Diploma by order of The Board of Education of Metroville Independent School District. Date of Award: May 30, 1981," it read.

Dash felt so proud and yet so unworthy at the same time. He somehow willed himself to return to the chair he was sitting in earlier. He almost cried.

"Friends and family, distinguished guests, I give you the class of 1981!"

And a flurry of mortarboards filled the air. One of them beaned Dash right in the back of his head.

"Ow!" he screamed.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," came a female's voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Dash said as he turned to see who it was. He was astonished to see Kim standing there.

"You're sure you're okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, um, I'm okay," he said. "Um, Kim, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What is it, dear?"

At that moment, Bob came up behind him and gripped him in a tight embrace.

"Way to go, slugger!" he said.

"Um, thanks, Dad, but I'm kind of in the…Hi, Mom."

"Dash, I'm so proud of you," said Helen. She kissed him right then and there.

"MOM! Not in front of Kim, please!"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Kim said, "I don't mind it at all."

"Listen, Mom, I'm trying to talk to my girlfriend here, about something very important." He said that last part through clenched teeth.

"OH!" Helen exclaimed, finally understanding. "Then by all means, go ahead."

"Thank you." He turned back to Kim. "Honey, you've been with me as long as I can remember. You've been my best friend, and my worst enemy, but through it all, I've always loved you." Kim started to tear up, because she could tell where this was going. Dash got down on his knees as he took her hand in his. "We've had a great time together so far, and I don't want it to end, ever. So, Kimberly Lavender, will you marry me?"

Kim was speechless. She had known all along that Dash wanted to get married, but she never expected he would propose at their graduation. She already knew what the answer would be, but before she could blurt it out, something caught her attention away. Dash looked and he saw it too.

The stage had been invaded by a tallish man in a pin-striped suit. He had jet-black hair that looked like it was held together with glue. He carried a machine gun in one hand and a microphone in the other.

"Hey, folks, how you doin'?" he said with a huge smile on his face. "I'm Dr. Game Show, your master of ceremonies this evening, and welcome to 'Who Wants to Live?' the game where YOU can win the privilege to see another sunrise!" He laughed a laugh somewhere between evil genius and TV personality.

Dash looked back at Kim, but he did not see her there. Instead, he saw Liquegirl, in full costume, ready to show Dr. Game Show the road to cancellation. He looked behind him and saw the rest of them ready to go also.

"A superhero's work is never done," he said to himself. He pulled his mask out of his pocket, put it on, and pulled off his robe, revealing the Rocket suit underneath.

FIN

(A/N: Well, how was it? Great ending if I do say so myself. All right, there are those of you out there who have been reading this story, but not reviewing it. I know who you are, and so do you. I want final reviews for this chapter from all of you. Please rate this story on a scale of 1 to 10, ten being Shakespeare. And please, be honest. Until next time, I'll see you in cyberspace. Good night!)


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